John Arts - Natural health researcher John Arts is a natural health researcher and supplement formulator. If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John on 0800 423 559 or join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz.

One of my regular comments is that our diets should have real variety, especially of fruit and vegetables to make sure you are getting a variety of antioxidants.
I recommend doing exactly the same with supplements.

We should look for nutritional supplements that have a wide variety of nutrients rather than high doses of just a few. This is especially true of antioxidants and minerals where we need all the antioxidant groups and all the minerals - not just some of them.
The role of antioxidants is to neutralise free radicals before they become dangerous and start damaging cell structures. University of Scranton Professor of Chemistry PhD Joe Vinson commented recently that "free radicals, if left unchecked, assault whatever cell constituents are nearby, including proteins, fats, and DNA. Once those molecules are attacked, their structure and function are changed and they don't work as well."
Most diseases are nothing more than an accumulation of free radical damage, which if left unchecked by antioxidants will affect important body systems and defences. For example, insufficient flavanol antioxidants, such as those from grape seeds, can lead to damaged and impaired collagen causing blood vessel diseases as diverse as hypertension, cramps, restless legs and varicose veins.
The real challenge is how to help people that have already developed health problems. This is where we move from the preventative role of antioxidants to one that actually helps to restore damaged systems, to allow the body to effectively fight back at established disease processes. In our example, once we start protecting the collagen in our blood vessels by adding flavanols, bioflavonoids and vitamin C, then healing can occur and often disease symptoms will slowly reverse.
Over the years I have worked with thousands of people who have made real improvements in their health by adding antioxidants, usually with levels significantly higher than what could be obtained with diet. In most cases, improvements can be felt in a matter of months however it is very important to match any programme to a person's individual needs.

John Arts is a natural health commentator and researcher. If you have questions or would like a free health plan, you can email John at john@johnarts.co.nz or phone 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559. You can join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz