| Free radicals and Anti-oxidants |
Reproduction is prohibited without prior permission from the publishers and the author. Do not copy this information from our website.
These extracts are reproduced by kind permission of Dr. Robert Youngston the author of "The Antioxidant Health Plan".
Hopefully parents of children (and carers of adults) with Down’s syndrome will gain a better understanding of free radicals and of the need for anti-oxidants in order to maintain good health. Especially important because our children have increased oxidative stress caused by a 50% overproduction of SOD linked to a trisomy of genes at chromosome 21. High peroxide levels can usually be verified by blood analysis.
Calalyse and glutathione peroxidase are not produced by a trisomy of genes and although there is a measurable increased production of antioxidants that response is variable from one person to another and is thought to be a function of their genetic inheritance from their parents. Any response is always going to be inadequate because the oxidative stress overwhelms the system, so there is an extraordinary reliance placed upon the body’s other antioxidant resources which are obtained from the diet.
Hence there is a logical basis for dietary supplements to satisfy the extra need for antioxidants to negate the increased oxidative stress in Down's syndrome. Vitamins A, C, E, Selenium, Folic acid and Zinc provide a minimum basis for supplements that are seen to be most likely to be effective or are needed to increased the ability of the body to increase its production of antioxidants.
Targeted Nutritional Intervention (TNI) is a more complex formulation that is designed to address these (and other) problems using safe levels of supplements. Parents and doctors can find the TNI formula on our website. Parents should always work closely with their doctor when using nutritional intervention especially with very young children. Vitamins taken in excess can be harmful.