Julianne Trimble
The Huffington Post recently named redox signaling technology as one of five emerging technologies in science that will shape our lives in the coming years. Although redox signaling molecules have been around since life began on earth, it wasn’t until 1998 when Drs. Furchgott, Ignarro, and Murad were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for identifying the role these molecules play in our cardiovascular system, that science thought these molecules were anything but cellular waste - a byproduct of your mitochondria creating ATP, your body’s source of energy. Fast forward to 2019, there are over 300,000 peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles on the subject. Nobel Laureate, Dr. James Watson, stated in The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious general medicine journals, that redox signaling and the technologies that will come from this field are more important than his discovery of DNA.
Since the original Nobel Prize was won in 1998, science has discovered that these redox signaling molecules play a key role in regulating gene expression. We’re not talking about eye color here – your genes do much more than dictate physical appearance. Genes give life-sustaining instructions to cells, and cells carry out those instructions to keep you alive and healthy. These molecules have now been scientifically proven to activate genetic pathways or affect genes that
- Improve immune system health
- Help maintain a healthy inflammatory response
- Help maintain cardiovascular health and support arterial elasticity
- Improve gut health and digestive enzyme production
- Modulate hormone balance to support vitality and wellness
So if our mitochondria already make these molecules, why would Huffington Post name redox signaling molecules as one of the five emerging technologies that will have an impact on our health? They would do that because your body begins to make less of these vital molecules as you are exposed to toxins, mental and physical stresses, and health challenges. In fact, even if you lived in a perfectly pristine, stress-free world, the simple act of aging past 20 decreases your body’s ability to make these molecules by approximately 10% every decade and these molecules have EVERYTHING to do with the health of your cells. The question is if your cells were as healthy as they were when you were younger, would you be healthier? We are accustomed to thinking about the health of our various organs – our heart, our lungs, our kidneys, etc. – when perhaps the question should be deeper than that. Perhaps the question should be if your cells were healthier, would your various organs be healthier?
Case in point: Your skin is your body’s largest organ. When your body’s ability to make these redox molecules was at its prime, your skin cells turned over every 28 days. As you age, cell turnover can slow down to as many as 90 days. Hence, the visible signs of aging. Science has shown that applying these molecules directly to the skin
- Increases skin cell turnover by 16%
- Increases microcirculation by 55%
- Decreases appearance of cellulite by 16%
- Decreases eye wrinkle depth by 21%
- Increases skin elasticity by 20%
If redox signaling molecules can do this to your body’s largest organ, your skin, what effect might it have on the organs you can’t see with the naked eye?
Our industrialized world creates imbalances in cellular health causing chronic oxidative stress that the body is unable to overcome. Factors such as aging, poor diet, mental stress, poor hydration, and inadequate exercise set the stage for this imbalance, which advances the pace of aging (as well as illness).
How to Naturally Boost Redox Potential
After all this talk about the importance of redox potential, let’s explore a few ways we can naturally boost the body’s RO to reap all of these fantastic health benefits.
1. Dim the Lights After Sunset
The redox potential of all mammals is inhibited when melanopsin signaling is altered in the central nervous system. One of the biggest ways this happens is exposure to artificial light after sunset. Circadian health is at the forefront of the health sciences at the moment, and indeed the exposure to artificial light, especially after sundown, triggers a poor redox potential as well as other deficiencies like DHA. As melanopsin continues to be altered, mammals also experience an increase in body fat and eventually a premature death.
Opting for natural light (like a candle) or ideally no light at all after sunset is ideal, but this isn’t always possible in today’s modern world. Certain electronics use a less harsh light spectrum like a red lightbulb or a salt lamp. There are also red filters that can be applied to computers and cellphones, as well as red-colored blue-light-blocking glasses that reduce the impact of artificial light.
2. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a method that increases the oxygen solubility in the blood through the administration of pure oxygen. HBOT is being used for a wide range of conditions as well as to improve recovery time and performance in athletes, and to improve the motor and cognitive response in healthy subjects. At the cellular level, HBOT has shown significant success in improving redox potential, protecting the integrity of mitochondria, and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
HBO therapy is expensive as it requires a special technology that is not widely available. Generally, the oxygen is administered in a pod or in a room and requires visiting a special center or clinic. HBOT has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of specific conditions and is covered under certain insurance plans. Note:
3. Infrared Therapy
The infrared spectrum of light is yet another way to increase redox potential in the body. This light spectrum triggers an enzymatic reaction rate that happens nearly at the speed of light and increases the redox potential of water in the body.
Infrared therapy can be done in various ways, including infrared sauna, volcanic hot springs, or most simply by spending time in the sunshine during the summer. The highest levels of infrared light are in the early morning and late afternoon, so exposing as much bare skin as possible to this sunrise/ sunset light is a simple and cost-effective way to boost redox potential daily. This method also supports circadian health and helps promote deep restorative sleep.
4. Cold Thermogenesis
Exposure to cold triggers cold thermogenesis, which improves redox potential by improving the flow of electrons as well as improving the magnetic flux of your tissues. Both these reactions are connected to healthy mitochondrial response and more oxygen in your cells.
Cold thermogenesis is a particularly accessible tool because it can be as simple as taking a cold shower or going for a walk in the winter in only a t-shirt. There are various innovations in the cold therapy industry including ice bath plunges and cryotherapy chambers in clinics and spas- but results can be just as profound if simple at-home protocols like a cold shower are practiced regularly.
5. Avoid Non-Native EMFs
Although mitigating stress, in general, is important to mitigate low redox potential, one particular source of stress it to avoid exposure to non-native electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). The higher the G level of the network, the more electrons are being pulled from your tissues, resulting in poor redox potential.
Non-Native EMF sources to be mindful of include:
- Cellphones (airplane mode, and keep away of the head at all cost)
- Bluetooth technology (wireless headphones, earpieces, going hands-free in the car, and wearable smart-tech)
- Wifi signals (turn off at night)
- “Smart” meters
- “Smart” electronics in general (like televisions, watches, and refrigerators)
6. Improve Redox Signaling with Redox Molecules
There’s no out-supplementing a redox-harming lifestyle, but using a high-quality redox-friendly supplement is one way to fill in the gaps and support the body. In today’s modern world that is constantly lowering our natural redox potential. For example, simply by living in a city, it’s impossible to avoid the constant attack of EMFs. Redox signaling molecules help to counteract modern environmental stressors.
Having a balanced gut microbiome with friendly bacteria is vital for gut integrity. Redox molecules work together with beneficial bacteria. This communication between bacteria and redox signaling molecules keeps the junctions in the gut tight and protects the integrity of the gut.
RESTORE is nature’s way to support the gut with redox molecules. RESTORE is a new generation, soil-derived supplement that promotes an optimal gut environment. It is not a probiotic. It is not a prebiotic. Rather, it is a carbon-rich, alkaline liquid comprised of Terrahydrite,™ a proprietary formulation of Aqueous Humic Substances and trace mineral amino acid complexes. RESTORE has been shown in lab testing to increase and strengthen the tight junction proteins in the gut lining, our frontline of defense against environmental factors in our food, water, and even air. This impacts the immune system, as much of the body’s immune system is in the gut lining.
Additionally, a stronger gut lining helps keep elements, such as herbicides and antibiotics used in farming from leaking out into the bloodstream from the intestines. Therefore, the immune system does not have to defend against these foreign “invaders.”
ASEA, sometimes called ASEA Water, is the only practitioner-sold supplement in the world to contain stabilized Redox Signaling Molecules. After almost two decades, millions of dollars of research and multiple patents, the scientists behind ASEA achieved what the scientific community said was impossible! Starting with nothing more than salt and water (similar to what is found inside your cells) and passing it through a complex three-day process, ASEA creates stabilized Redox Signaling Molecules outside of the body. There are only two places where you can find these vital molecules – inside every living organism and inside a bottle of ASEA.
Prescribing ASEA to your patients is one way to help them bridge the gap to a higher redox-potential, with a simple method that can easily be incorporated into daily life.
References:
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Harch, Paul G. “Hyperbaric Oxygen in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury: Oxygen, Pressure, and Gene Therapy.” Medical Gas Research5, no. 1 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13618-015-0030-6.
Huang, Lei, and Andre Obenaus. “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury.” Medical Gas Research1, no. 1 (2011): 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-9912-1-21.
Sang, Yuanhua, Hong Liu, and Ahmad Umar. “Photocatalysis from UV/Vis to Near-Infrared Light: Towards Full Solar-Light Spectrum Activity.” ChemCatChem7, no. 4 (March 2014): 559–73. https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201402812.
Stangherlin, Alessandra, and Akhilesh B. Reddy. “Regulation of Circadian Clocks by Redox Homeostasis.” Journal of Biological Chemistry288, no. 37 (2013): 26505–11. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.r113.457564.
Tafur, Joseph, and Paul J. Mills. “Low-Intensity Light Therapy: Exploring the Role of Redox Mechanisms.” Photomedicine and Laser Surgery26, no. 4 (2008): 323–28. https://doi.org/10.1089/pho.2007.2184.
Tegoni, Mariella, and Christian Cambillau. “Redox Potential.” Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1002/047120918x.emb1291.pub2.
Wilking, Melissa, Mary Ndiaye, Hasan Mukhtar, and Nihal Ahmad. “Circadian Rhythm Connections to Oxidative Stress: Implications for Human Health.” Antioxidants & Redox Signaling19, no. 2 (October 2013): 192–208. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2012.4889.
