Consumers take dietary supplements to obtain concentrated doses of some of the beneficial nutrients (such as folic acid) that are found in fruits and vegetables. Many multivitamins, however, do not provide all the vital plant components that scientists have found are needed to maintain good health. Life Extension Mix is formulated based on published findings showing that consuming lots of fruits and vegetables dramatically lowers the risk of health problems. Life Extension Mix provides concentrations of the fruit and vegetable extracts that researchers have found protect against a wide variety of cellular insults. A Johns Hopkins study found from 1999-2002, only 28% and 32% of American adults met the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake, respectively.
Pyridoxamine and Free Radicals
Life Extension has upgraded its Life Extension Mix formulation to include 50 mg of pyridoxamine, a potent form of vitamin B6. Pyridoxamine helps block the formation of advanced glycation end (AGE) products, enhances glucose metabolism and consumes toxic free radicals. It is considered to be the most effective anti-AGE and antiaging vitamin.
In addition, vitamin D levels have been boosted to 1000 IU to address a growing body of research that indicates the importance of higher vitamin D levels.
Multivitamins and Antioxidants
The power of cocoa polyphenols
An abundance of new research shows that the unique polyphenols in cocoa provide broad-spectrum benefits to the arterial system. Based on studies showing that cocoa polyphenols are extremely effective in neutralizing free radical activity and have been shown to contain more antioxidant polyphenols than any other food, standardized cocoa polyphenol extract s are contained in Extension Mix formula. Cocoa polyphenols offer the cardiovascular benefits of cocoa without fat or calories and contain the same amount of polyphenols as a 1/4 serving (about 0.5 ounces) of a dark chocolate bar.
Standardized pomegranate extract
The pomegranate extract contained in Life Extension Mix is standardized to provide the biologically active punicalagins that are so unique to this fruit. Pomegranate punicalagins are 100% water soluble and have shown a remarkable 95% absorption rate. When tested against popular antioxidant food extracts, pomegranate demonstrated one of the most potent free radical-suppressing effects. This means that pomegranate punicalagins not only absorb much better than other natural antioxidants, but they also have a superior antioxidant capacity.
Like cocoa polyphenols, peer-reviewed published human studies show that pomegranate helps maintain healthy cardiovascular function by enhancing the endothelial nitric oxide synthase bioactivity, and inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Pomegranate also has the unique property of helping to maintain healthy DNA structure in the prostate cells.* The daily dose of Life Extension Mix provides the equivalent of consuming up to 2.6 ounces of pomegranate juice - without the sugar calories.
Standardized blueberry extracts
Blueberry anthocyanins are potent natural antioxidants that have demonstrated properties that extend well beyond suppressing free radicals.
For instance, blueberries have been shown to not only improve memory, but to also undo some of the degenerative changes seen in aging neurons. One study showed that the ability of blueberries to suppress free radical and inflammatory damage in the brain was analogous to long-term calorie restriction. These findings hint that blueberries might be able to reverse certain aspects of brain aging!
Blueberry's other active constituent (pterostilbene) promotes healthy lipid and glucose for those already within normal range. Even more exciting is that these blueberry constituents (pterostilbene and anthocyanins) may help protect DNA structure.
The Life Extension Mix formula provides the standardized blueberry extracts that provide the most active constituents found in this health-promoting fruit.
Standardized green tea extract
Life Extension introduced green tea extract as a supplement in 1993 based on epidemiological studies showing that people who consumed green tea had lower incidences of common degenerative problems. Over the past 14 years, an enormous volume of positive studies has been published about the health benefits of green tea.
Scientists have looked at the active "polyphenol" constituents of green tea and have found that they possess remarkable biological activities that include inhibiting LDL oxidation and neuronal peroxidation, while maintaining healthy DNA structure.
Life Extension Mix contains 325 mg of a decaffeinated green tea extract that is standardized to provide 98% of the active polyphenols that scientists attribute to green tea's multiple health benefits.
The amount of polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), in Life Extension Mix is equivalent to drinking about three to four cups of green tea per day.
Standardized vegetable extracts
Luteolin is a flavonoid found in parsley, artichoke, basil, celery, and other foods. When measured against 27 other flavonoids, luteolin provided the most DNA protection. One favorable mechanism of luteolin is its ability to inhibit oxidative damage to cellular DNA. Another unique benefit is luteolin's ability to suppress excess levels of dangerous inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and interleukin 1b. Life Extension Mix contains a standardized dose of 8 mg luteolin, a dose that emulates the benefits seen in published scientific studies.
Broccoli is touted as one of the most important vegetables to maintain healthy DNA gene structure. Broccoli contains several active constituents, with sulforaphane being the most significant because of its unique detoxification and DNA protecting effects. Life Extension Mix provides broccoli sprout concentrate that provides standardized extracts of sulforaphane and glucosinolates, two compounds to which broccoli's protective benefits have been attributed. Broccoli is also a natural source of gene-protecting chlorophyll.
D-glucarate is a botanical extract found in grapefruit, apples, oranges, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. D-glucarate supports a detoxification process that helps to remove DNA toxins from the body. The daily dose of Life Extension Mix provides 200 mg of calcium D-glucarate.
Lutein, an extract found in corn and in leafy greens such as kale and spinach, has been shown to help maintain critical pigments in the eye macula.37 The carotenoid alpha carotene has demonstrated antioxidant activity greater than beta-carotene, whereas lycopene from tomatoes has shown potent effects in helping to maintain DNA structure and protecting against LDL oxidation. Life Extension Mix contains 60 times more lutein and 10 times more lycopene compared to Centrum®. Most multivitamin supplements provide no vegetable extracts whatsoever.
Standardized fruit extracts
In addition to standardized pomegranate and blueberry extracts, Life Extension Mix is also fortified with fruit extracts such as bilberry, grape seed, grape skin, and citrus bioflavonoids to provide healthy circulation throughout the body and maintain healthy DNA.
Scientists have long touted the multiple benefits of fruits such as blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, plums, elderberry, persimmon, and cherry. Life Extension Mix provides a customized blend of these and other fruits that studies indicate provide multiple favorable effects in the body.
Olive oil consumption is one of the important factors behind the health benefits of the "Mediterranean Diet. Researchers have discovered that there are up to 300 times more polyphenol compounds in olive water compared to olive oil. Olive polyphenols have been the subject of numerous in vitro, in vivo, and human studies pointing toward their benefits in many different areas, including protecting against LDL oxidation, suppressing free radicals, and stabilizing cell membranes. Life Extension Mix contains a potent olive extract standardized to provide the best-documented polyphenol, hydroxytyrosol. The amount of hydroxytyrosol in the daily dose of Life Extension Mix is equivalent to drinking more than one ounce of virgin olive oil a day.
Sesame lignans enhance the effects of vitamin E
Sesame and its lignans have a broad range of applications in human health. This includes increasing human tissue levels of gamma-vitamin E by facilitating carrier proteins in the liver to deliver nutrients to cells throughout the body.
Sesame lignans increase the anti-inflammatory index of fish oils and help maintain already normal cholesterol/LDL levels in humans. Life Extension Mix provides 10 mg of a sesame lignan extract to supply the direct benefits of the lignans, and augment the effects of vitamin E and other nutrients in the body such as gamma-tocopherol and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Maintaining healthy blood glucose levels
Chromium, along with magnesium and biotin, are nutrients required to maintain healthy blood sugar for those already within normal range. Life Extension Mix provides 500 mcg of chromium, a better absorbable form of magnesium, and a super high potency biotin. A review of studies showing benefits of chromium supplementation reveals that doses exceeding 200 mcg a day is required for optimal effects.
High-potency vitamin D3
Doctors used to be concerned that too much vitamin D could be toxic. Over the past few years, however, an increasing body of evidence indicates that it takes much higher doses of vitamin D (perhaps over 10,000 IU/day) to inflict toxicity on a healthy person. The concern expressed by researchers today is that fear of vitamin D toxicity is keeping many people from supplementing with enough vitamin D, which is critical for maintaining bone density and maintaining healthy cell division. As a matter of fact, a review in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the recommended intakes for vitamin D are inadequate and need to be increased to at least 800 IU of vitamin D3 per day. In response to research showing that even those who take standard vitamin D supplements are not obtaining adequate amounts, Life Extension Mix™ provides 1000 IU of vitamin D3 per daily dose.
Life Extension Mix saves time and money by combining the most popular nutrient supplements into one multivitamin product, eliminating the need to take separate bottles of B-complex, vitamins C and E, mineral supplements, and much more that would be required to achieve the same effects.
Life Extension Mix supplies the most powerful antioxidants, including water and fat soluble vitamin C, vitamin E, and plant extracts that help protect against cellular DNA damage. Other ingredients in Life Extension Mix enhance beneficial DNA methylation patterns, help maintain glycemic control, and help prevent the oxidation of LDL that contributes to the buildup of deposits in the endothelial lining.
