And now, a nutritional ‘lie-detector test’

Who has not heard of antioxidants? Because antioxidants are believed to protect the body from potentially harmful substances called free radicals, which can damage cells and tissues, it has received much attention and interest. We’ve seen the aggressive marketing of many products claiming to possess antioxidant properties. But do they really work? How are we to know?

Now, we can know, with an antioxidant measuring tool called the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner. "It’s like a nutritional lie-detector test," says Dr. Mark Bartlett, Pharmanex vice president for global research and development, who was a recent visitor in the country. "Groundbreaking research shows that this easy-to-use tool provides an accurate way to measure overall antioxidant health in the body. If you have not been eating your fruits and vegetables as you should, it will show."

Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants – the more brightly colored, the better. A healthy diet should include seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Carotenoids, which are found in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, are a good indicator of overall antioxidant health. A well-known example of this family of natural pigments is one that gives this group its name, carotene, which is found in carrots and is responsible for their bright orange color. Skin carotenoids are influenced by oxidative stress such as smoking, exposure to sunlight, and pollution. They are an important indicator of the body’s antioxidant defense system.

The Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner measures the carotenoid level in the skin of your palm using a safe, low-energy blue light laser and a technology called Raman spectroscopy, named after its discoverer, Sir CV Raman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. The patented technology, owned exclusively by Pharmanex, is the world’s first immediate, non-invasive method of measuring antioxidant activity. Recent clinical study shows that the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner is a more reliable measurement of carotenoid antioxidant status than conventional blood serum methods. It is safe, highly specific, and gives instant results. Your Skin Carotenoid Score (SCS) is noted on a color scale – from weak, indicated by the color red, through orange, yellow, and green, to the color purple, which indicates the optimal body defense score.

"By consistently tracking the carotenoid antioxidant levels in your body, you are better equipped with the knowledge to maintain a healthier lifestyle," says Dr. Bartlett. "Since you are aware, you will be better motivated to maintain healthier nutrition habits that will help boost your antioxidant levels." The more regularly we supply our body with antioxidants and phytonutrients, mostly derived from fruits and vegetables, the better our health. Unfortunately, most of us simply can’t do that with food, hence the need for supplements. Your antioxidant health can be improved through nutritious eating and supplementation with health products from Pharmanex such as LifePak, a dietary supplement formulated for general nutrition; G3, a phytonutrient drink with lipocarotenes; and Tegreen, made of green tea leaf extract, for cell protection. Pharmanex products are sold directly to the consumer through a network of direct distributors. Pharmanex, a Nu Skin Enterprises company, applies pharmaceutical processes and scientific measurement to create nutritional supplements for more than 40 markets worldwide. And with its exclusive Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner, no other nutritional company can provide a convenient proof of the effectiveness of their antioxidant supplements.