Many of you have been asking when you will hear about
Shaklee's clinical studies with
Vivix. Your wait is
over.
At the August 2009 global conference in St. Louis
Missouri Shaklee released some results from one of
their key clinical studies on
Vivix.
This was a randomized, placebo controlled clinical
study, the most rigorous kind of clinical study.
It was also an independent study performed not by
Shaklee, but by scientists at State University of New
York at Buffalo.
In short, this was the real deal!
In this study, a group of volunteers consumed a 910
calorie breakfast from Burger King. One half of the
group took Vivix immediately after breakfast and the
other half took a placebo.
For the group consuming Vivix a key genetic regulator
of longevity called Nrf2 (pronounced Nerf 2) increased
dramatically within the first 3 hours after the meal.
For the placebo group Nrf2 levels actually declined.
If you are feeling a bit under whelmed at the moment,
it's probably because this is the kind of study that
needs a bit of additional explanation before you can
fully appreciate it.
Let's start with the breakfast, which I have somewhat
jokingly referred to as the "breakfast of champions".
You see that Burger King breakfast is loaded with the
wrong kinds of fat - saturated fat & trans fat. That's
the kind of fat that clogs your arteries.
Not only does it clog your arteries, but it also causes
your arteries to contract dramatically right after the
meal. If those arteries are already clogged from
previous high fat meals...You guessed it...It can
trigger a heart attack or stroke.
If you're lucky it could mean a trip to the emergency
room. But, the most frequent symptom of heart disease
is sudden death - often triggered by that fat laden
"Happy Meal, If you'll pardon the mixed metaphor"
And it isn't just Burger King. Almost any fast food
meal will do.
Now that I have your attention, let's talk about the
protective effects of antioxidants.
In fact, you may have heard about previous clinical
studies showing that supplementation with vitamin E or
other antioxidants immediately after the "Happy Meal"
can prevent that narrowing of the arteries and perhaps
save you from that trip to the emergency room.
You might be asking "What does that have to do with
Nrf2 and Vivix?" Be patient, I'm getting there.
You see when we are young, a "Happy Meal" will trigger
an increase in Nrf2 which in turn increases production
of our body's own antioxidant defense mechanisms.
Nrf2 also triggers our detoxification pathways so that
we can get rid of all of the artificial food additives
and preservatives in that "Happy Meal".
Nrf2 triggers our immune balance pathways (high fat
meals depress the immune system and can also cause
inflammatory and autoimmune responses).
Finally, Nrf2 triggers our anti-stress pathways (high
fat meals trigger cortisol production, which can
accelerate the aging process) and much, much more.
But when we get older, Nrf2 is no longer triggered by
those high fat meals and we lose our natural protective
mechanisms. When that happens the aging process, and
our risk of heart attack or stroke, is increased by
every high fat meal that we consume.
By now you are probably starting to understand why the
ability of Vivix to activate the Nrf2 gene is such a
big deal.
But, I don't want you to think of Vivix as simply an
antidote to a bad diet. You see Vivix turns on Nrf2
whether you are consuming a high fat meal or not.
Just think how much more beneficial it will be to keep
your natural antioxidant defense mechanisms, your
detoxification systems, your immune system, and your
anti-stress systems in tip top shape without wasting
those resources having to compensate for the effects of
a bad diet.
So let me summarize what this study shows:
- Vivix activates the Nrf2 gene, which is a master
regulator of longevity.
- That shows that the dosage of resveratrol and ellagic
acid in Vivix is appropriate, that those beneficial
polyphenols get into your bloodstream (they are
bioavailable) and that they have their intended anti-
aging benefits.
- In short the study shows that Vivix works in real
people like you & me.
- Nrf2, in turn, activates the body's antioxidant
defense mechanisms, detoxification mechanisms, immune
balancing mechanisms and anti-stress mechanisms. These
are all mechanisms that slow down cellular aging and
reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.
- Vivix can reduce the damage caused by a high fat
diet, but will be even more effective at slowing the
aging process if used along with a good diet and a
lifestyle that includes weight control and exercise.
The study actually shows much more than this, but
Shaklee can't release the other data until the
manuscript has been accepted for publication. So stay
tuned for even more exciting results in the future.
To your health!
Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
Shaklee Master Coordinator
