OPC-85™

The Ultimate Antioxidant

OPC is a breakthrough in antioxidant protection that demonstrates how important natural nutrition can be for your health.

Antioxidants are a class of biological molecules that function to scavenge and neutralize free radicals . Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons that causedamage at the cellular level, and which unfortunately are unavoidable. Antioxidants – the most famous of which thus far have been Vitamin C and Vitamin E –work to protect living tissue by neutralizing free radicals, thereby interrupting many of their harmful activities.

OPC-85 is a potent natural antioxidant derived from the bark of the European coastal pine, Pinus maritima. It is 20 times more potent an antioxidant than Vitamin C, and 50 times more so than Vitamin E.

Free Radicals Are A Real Threat

Uniquely vulnerable targets of free radical attack that require a regular supply of antioxidants just to maintain a basic level of function include fatty acids – especially those in cell membranes – and sulfhydral proteins , which form one of the most common types of chemical bonds found in biological organisms. The importance of these substances for overall health cannot be overstated, as they are critical components not only of tissues throughout the body, but most importantly, of the principal regulatory organs – the brain and liver – and every blood vessel. Free radical attack on fatty acids – known as lipid peroxidation – and related destruction of sulfhydral proteins can lead to diminished function of cell membranes and whole organs. This, in turn, can contribute significantly to decreases in quality of life.

Free radicals are believed to be active in the development of cumulative damage to the system, as well as in many of the undesirable effects of aging. Free radicals are constantly being produced due to the natural intake of oxygen and generation of energy by the body's cells. However, their production is heightened by pollutants such as tobacco smoke, alcohol, solvents, and oxidized cholesterol from foods. Therefore, health scientists suggest we may need to increase our intake of antioxidants either from foods or from supplements – such as Vitamin A and Beta Carotene, Vitamins C and E, Selenium, Cysteine, and now, OPC-85.

Potent Antioxidant Protection From Nature

OPC is a natural 85% concentrate of proanthocyanidins extracted from the bark of the Maritime Pine. Proanthocyanidins are a special class of highly bioavailable, water-soluble bioflavonoids with unparalleled free radical scavenging activity. They readily cross the Blood-Brain Barrier to provide antioxidant protection to the central nervous system, and stay in the bloodstream for approximately 72 hours.

Better Health For An Active Life

As a potent antioxidant,OPC-85 is valuable for protecting the liver from free radical attack. Since the liver is the main detoxifying, nutrient-assimilating, and energy-generating organ of the body, this may mean more potential for activity in your life.

OPC-85 may also aid recovery for athletes on strenuous workout regimes and in competition. Healthy capillaries through healthy collagen A major beneficiary of the protective actions of OPC-85 is collagen, the most abundant protein in the body. Collagen is responsible for maintaining the integrity of “ground substance,” the basic material in functional fluids, mucus linings, and connective tissue such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and most importantly, blood vessels linings. It is highly vulnerable to free radical attack, and a number of discomforting and depreciating processes are associated with its destruction. There is evidence showing that OPC-85 can provide remarkable support for the prevention of collagen destruction, and it has received much attention for its special affinity for capillaries, the smallest blood vessels.

OPC helps strengthen capillary linings in three key ways. First, OPC functions to scavenge the free radicals that may compromise the integrity of collagen. Second, OPC contains catechin, which is thought to stabilize collagen by forming hydrogen bonds and cross-linking collagen. Third, OPC is Vitamin C-sparing, meaning it can fill in for C in a number of functions; this frees some Vitamin C – required for the synthesis of hydroxproline, a major structural amino acid of collagen– for use in building collagen.

People who smoke and women who take oral contraceptives can reduce their heightened risk of Vitamin C depletion by taking advantage of OPC's Vitamin C-sparing activity.