Science and Ingredients

Power of 3^TM Ingredient Glossary (Alpabetized) Printable PDF
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Power of 3^TM Ingredient Glossary (Health Focus Categorization) Printable PDF
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What Is ORAC
ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This scientific analysis measures an antioxidant's scavenging capacity against free radicals. Free radicals are known to cause cell damage as well as premature aging of cells, which in turn, leads to disease. The Power of 3^TM has an extremely high ORAC score of over 72,000 per 32 ounce bottle as validated by Brunswick Laboratories.

What Are Antioxidants
Antioxidants are a class of agents known for their ability to inhibit harmful compounds called free radicals. The damage caused to cells by free radicals is known as oxidation. Scientists understand the necessity for humans to obtain significant amounts of antioxidants through diet as well as supplementation in order to maintain good health. Antioxidants neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. The Power of 3^TM contains a broad range of antioxidants from a wide variety of food, vitamin and herbal sources.


What Are Polyphenols
The Power of 3^TM has a high polyphenol content obtained from numerous sources such as Grape Seed Extract, Green Tea, Ellagic Acid and many others. Polyphenols have been shown to play a significant role in helping prevent heart disease, heart failure and stroke as well as reducing harmful LDL cholesterol.


What Are Free Radicals
Free radicals produce harmful oxidation that can damage the membranes of cells. By definition, they are atoms with at least one unpaired electron. A good analogy would be that free radicals represent the criminal element in your body and antioxidants represent the law enforcement element. If left alone, free radicals produce damage and chaos. Daily use of the Power of 3^TM provides your body with high levels of antioxidants from multiple sources to inhibit and slow down this damaging process.

What Are Cruciferous Vegetables
Out of the ten vegetables included in the Power of 3^TM, we have included six varieties from the special group of vegetables called cruciferous vegetables. These are known for their excellent cancer-fighting properties. Research suggests that these cruciferous vegetables contain a kind of phytochemical known as isothiocyanates, which stimulate our bodies to break down potential carcinogens. They work by preventing the transformation of normal healthy cells into cancerous cells.

Cruciferous vegetables found in the Power of 3^TM are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and turnips. An excellent example from this group of vegetables is broccoli. Broccoli contains sulforaphane, which is a natural chemical that stimulates the body to produce enzymes and destroy carcinogens. Broccoli sprouts are particularly rich in sulforaphane, containing approximately 20 to 50 times more of this natural chemical than mature broccoli.

Many cruciferous vegetables also contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol. This compound is said to reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancers such as prostate, breast and ovarian cancer.

What Are Vitamins
The Power of 3^TM contains a full complement of essential vitamins, which are nutrients required in small amounts for essential metabolic reactions in the body. The term "vitamin" does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but which are not essential for life.

Vitamins are bio-molecules that act both as catalysts and substrates in chemical reactions. When acting as a catalyst, vitamins are bound to enzymes and are called co-factors. For example, vitamin K forms part of the proteases involved in blood clotting.

Vitamins also act as co-enzymes to carry chemical groups between enzymes. For example, folic acid carries various forms of the carbon groups methyl, formyl and methylene in the cell.

Until the 1900s, vitamins were obtained solely through food intake. Many food sources contain different ratios of vitamins. Therefore, if the only source of vitamins is food, changes in diet will alter the types and amounts of vitamins ingested from one growing season to the next.

What Are Minerals
As important as vitamins are, they can do nothing for you without minerals. Vitamins cannot be assimilated without the aid of minerals. Although the body can manufacture a few vitamins, it cannot manufacture a single mineral.

All tissue and internal fluids contain varying quantities of minerals. Minerals are constituents of the bones, teeth, soft tissue, muscle, blood and nerve cells. They are vital to overall mental and physical well-being. Minerals act as catalysts for many biological reactions within the body, including muscle response, the transmission of messages through the nervous system, and the utilization of nutrients in food.

What Are Trace Minerals
The Power of 3^TM is unique in that it contains trace minerals from multiple sources. Both plant and sea trace minerals contain a complex of these life-giving elements. There are typically 60 or more elements in a single trace mineral complex, and each is a critical component to good health.

An additional 73 minerals and trace minerals are present due to the rich Coral Calcium Complex in the Power of 3^TM.

Finally, the ten sea vegetables found in the Power of 3^TM are also a rich source of plant-based sea trace minerals.

Trace minerals are not only scarce, they are largely absent from our fruits and vegetables due primarily to modern farming methods.

An ionically-charged mineral is an element that has a charge, either positive or negative. On the molecular level, that means the element has either one too many or too few electrons. This unstable ionic state allows the element to bond readily with water, making it possible for the body to absorb it. In this state, an element has specific positive or negative electrical signatures that cause a dynamic equilibrium to take place. The body can then assimilate minor changes to move nutrients to the areas that need them.

What Are Exotic Fruits
We all recognize the value of fruits as a source of healthy nutrition, and scientific evidence now shows that fruits can actually prevent disease and help the body to heal.  

In recent years, a myriad of exotic fruits from around the world have been studied by the scientific community due to their powerful health-giving properties. The Power of 3^TM contains six well-researched exotic fruits including Goji, Noni, Mangosteen, Acai Berry, Star Fruit and Papaya.    

What Are Xanthones
The Power of 3^TM includes whole-fruit Mangosteen in our formula. The Mangosteen fruit, including the outer layer called the Pericarp, represents the single greatest supplier of Xanthones to be discovered in nature to date. Xanthones are a group of phytonutrients that exhibit powerful antioxidant properties. Xanthones can enhance the immune system and scavenge free radicals, while also benefiting multiple systems in the body.

What Are Sea Vegetables
Ten sea vegetables are included in the Power of 3^TM. Sea vegetables are various types of seaweed that have been used as vegetables or staples in the diets of many cultures for thousands of years. Not only do sea vegetables contain high quality proteins and carbohydrates, they also offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually every one of the minerals found in the ocean - the same minerals that are found in human blood.

Sea vegetables are an excellent source of the B-vitamins folate, riboflavin and pantothenic acid, magnesium, iron and calcium. In addition, sea vegetables contain healthy amounts of lignans, plant compounds with amazing cancer-protective properties.

What Are Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. 20 amino acids are needed to build the various proteins essential for the growth, repair and maintenance of bodily tissues. 11 of these amino acids can be manufactured by the body itself, while the other nine (called essential amino acids) must come from the diet.

The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Another amino acid, histidine, is considered semi-essential because the body does not always require dietary sources of it.

The non-essential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine.

Other amino acids, such as carnitine, are used by the body in ways other than protein-building and are often used therapeutically.

The classification of an amino acid as essential or non-essential does not reflect its importance, because all 20 amino acids are necessary for health. Instead, this classification system simply reflects whether or not the body is capable of manufacturing a particular amino acid.

What Are Herbs
There are ten rare herbs found in the Power of 3^TM which have been identified as highly beneficial for promoting health, while also being safe to use on a daily basis.

Herbs represent thousands of plants that have traditionally been used by cultures around the world as both medicine and food. It has been estimated that as much as 90% of all modern pharmaceutical drugs have been synthesized from herbs. Drugs, however, can produce dangerous side effects, and are typically intended to treat symptoms without addressing their underlying causes. There are no known side effects attributed to the use of herbs.

What Are Digestive Enzymes
The Power of 3^TM contains an enzyme called Bromelain and a non-essential nutrient called Betaine HCL.

Enzymes are very specific. Each has a particular job it does and it does only that job. You need specific enzymes in order to digest specific food types.

All enzymes themselves are proteins consisting of amino acids, just like all other proteins.

Although not an enzyme itself, Betaine HCL serves a critical function by increasing the hydrochloric acid content of the upper digestive system which, in turn, promotes the body's manufacture of a necessary enzyme called Pepsin. Pepsin breaks proteins down into peptides. Betaine HCL also serves the function of maintaining a low pH in the stomach, which allows the body to kill many harmful bacteria and micro-organisms.

Bromelain is derived from pineapple and, in addition to breaking down a broad spectrum of proteins, has anti-inflammatory properties and is effective over a very wide pH range.

What Is Fulvic Acid
Fulvic acid makes the Power of 3^TM unique because it represents a genuine breakthrough in the way each of the 174 ingredients in our unique 3-phase formula is utilized by the body.

Fulvic acid is one of the world's most complex and diverse substances. The DNA of every living or extinct species of organism on earth, whether plant, animal or micro-organism, has eventually become a highly-refined component of fulvic acid.

Having a dramatic impact on health, fulvic acid is the element that enables nutrients to be absorbed. It maintains cellular integrity and aids in the cellular detoxification process.

Fulvic acid is so powerful that a single molecule can transport other molecules many times its own weight. Fulvic acid delivers more than 60 minerals and trace elements to cells. Scientists have referred to it as the Elixir of Life and theorize that without it, life would not exist.

Fulvic acid is necessary for the utilization of vitamins, enzyme production and hormone structures. It is essential to living cells carrying out metabolic processes. It balances and energizes cell life and the biological properties with which it comes into contact.

Fulvic acid renders free radicals harmless by reacting with both negatively and positively charged unpaired electrons. It can either alter them into new, useable compounds or eliminate them as waste. It scavenges heavy metals and detoxifies pollutants.

Fulvic acid is one of the most powerful electrolytes known to exist. It charges, regenerates, regulates and delivers its energies to living cells. It balances cellular life by restoring the electrical potential that was once normal to the cell.

What Is Ellagic Acid
Ellagic acid is a unique component of the Power of 3^TM formula and is obtained from red raspberries.  In the Power of 3^TM, ellagic acid is present at 500 mg. per ounce.

Ellagic acid is a phenolic compound that can be obtained by consuming strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates and red raspberry seeds. It has shown strong preliminary scientific evidence as an anti-carcinogen, anti-mutagen and anti-cancer initiator.

What Are Essential Fatty Acids
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) are necessary fats that humans cannot synthesize and, therefore, must be obtained through diet.

The Power of 3^TM contains Flaxseed Oil for its outstanding Omega-3 and 6 Fatty Acids, and Borage Oil for its Omega-6 content.

EFA's are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from linolenic, linoleic and oleic acids. There are three families of EFA's: Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9.

Omega-9 is necessary yet non-essential, because the body can manufacture a modest amount on its own, provided essential EFA's are present.  

Omega-3 fatty acids are derived from linolenic acid, Omega-6 from linoleic acid, and Omega-9 from oleic acid.

EFA's support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and nervous systems. The human body needs EFA's to manufacture and repair cell membranes, enabling the cells to obtain optimum nutrition and expel harmful waste products. A primary function of EFA's is the production of prostaglandins, which regulate bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility and conception. EFA's also play a role in immune function by regulating inflammation and encouraging the body to fight infection.

Essential Fatty Acids are necessary for proper growth in children, particularly for neural development and maturation of sensory systems, with male children having higher needs than females. Fetuses and breast-fed infants also require an adequate supply of EFA's through the mother's dietary intake.

EFA deficiency is common in the United States, particularly Omega-3 deficiency.

An ideal intake ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids is between 1:1 and 4:1, with most Americans only obtaining a ratio between 10:1 and 25:1. The minimum healthy intake for both linolenic (Omega-3) and linoleic (Omega-6) acid via diet, per adult per day, is 1.5 grams of each. One tablespoon of flaxseed oil can provide this amount, or larger amounts of other linolenic-rich foods.

Because high heat destroys linolenic acid, cooking in linolenic-rich oils or eating cooked linolenic-rich fish is unlikely to provide a sufficient amount of Omega-3.

EFA deficiency and Omega 6/3 imbalance is linked with serious health conditions, such as heart attack, cancer, insulin resistance, asthma, lupus, schizophrenia, depression, postpartum depression, accelerated aging, stroke, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, ADHD and Alzheimer's disease, among others.

What Is Lycopene
Lycopene, found primarily in tomatoes, is a member of the carotenoid family which includes beta-carotene and similar compounds found naturally in food. Carotenoids are known for their potent antioxidant capabilities.

A study conducted by Harvard researchers examined the relationship between carotenoids and the risk of prostate cancer.(1) Of the carotenoids studied, only lycopene was clearly linked to protection. In this study, the men who had the greatest amounts of lycopene in their diet (6.5 mg per day or more) showed a 21% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating the least. This report suggests that lycopene may be an important tool in the prevention of prostate cancer.

This study also reported that those who ate more than ten servings per week of tomato-based foods had a 35% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating less than 1.5 weekly servings. When the researchers looked at only advanced prostate cancer, the high lycopene eaters had an 86% decreased risk (although this did not reach statistical significance due to the small number of cases).

Contrary to popular opinion, research suggests that there is no preferential concentration of lycopene in prostate tissue.(2) Although prostate cancer patients have been reported to have low levels of lycopene in the blood(3), and lycopene appears to be a potent inhibitor of human cancer cells in test-tubes(4), evidence is conflicting concerning whether an increased intake of tomato products is protective against prostate cancer.

Some studies, like the one discussed above, have reported that a high consumption of tomatoes and tomato products reduces risk of prostate cancer.

1. Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm EB, et al. Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995;87:1767-76.

2. Kristal AR, Cohen JH. Invited commentary: tomatoes, lycopene, and prostate cancer. How strong is the evidence? Am J Epidemiol 2000;151:124-7 [review, discussion 128-30].

3. Rao AV, Fleshner N, Agarwal S. Serum and tissue lycopene and biomarkers of oxidation in prostate cancer patients: a case-control study. Nutr Cancer 1999;33:159-64.

4. Levy J, Bosin E, Feldman B, et al. Lycopene is a more potent inhibitory of human cancer cell proliferation than either alpha-carotene or beta-carotene. Nutr Cancer 1995;24:257-66.

What Is Coral Calcium Complex And Calcium
Vision For Life^TM has compiled extensive anecdotal evidence over the years offered by thousands of our customers regarding the tremendous results they have received from our Coral Calcium Complex. We believe that the particular source we utilize for the Coral Calcium Complex found in the Power of 3^TM makes all the difference.

A great amount of debate exists regarding Coral Calcium Complex, primarily as a result of exaggerated claims made by marketers, with little scientific evidence offered as proof for their claims.

Marine Grade Coral Calcium Complex is highly bio-available and contains 73 minerals and trace minerals.  The naturally-occurring trace minerals in Coral Calcium are ionic in nature making them readily absorbable. Coral Calcium Complex is reputed to have the ability to elevate pH levels, which is extremely helpful in offsetting the typical Western diet that is high in fried foods, red meats and simple starches.

We include over three grams of this precious substance in every ounce of the Power of 3^TM and our Coral Calcium is harvested in an eco-friendly fashion.

Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body, and accounts for approximately 1.5% of total body weight. Bones and teeth house 99% of the calcium in the body, with the remaining 1% distributed in other areas.

In recent years, consumers have been bombarded with public health messages encouraging the consumption of foods rich in calcium. These messages are aimed at preventing osteoporosis, a disease characterized by brittle and porous bones that now afflicts more than 20 million individuals in the United States. A calcium-deficient diet is one of the causative factors of this devastating disease.

Calcium is best known for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorous join forces to form calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate is a major component of the mineral complex called hydroxyapatite which gives structure and strength to bones.

Calcium also plays a role in many physiological activities not related to bones, including blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity and cell membrane function. Because these physiological activities are essential to life, the body utilizes complex regulatory systems to tightly control the amount of calcium in the blood so that calcium is available for these activities. As a result, when dietary intake of calcium is too low to maintain normal blood levels of calcium, the body will draw on calcium stores in the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations.  After many years, this constant depletion of bone calcium can lead to osteoporosis.

Insufficient calcium intake, poor calcium absorption, and/or excessive calcium losses through the urine and feces can cause calcium deficiency. In children, calcium deficiency can cause improper bone mineralization which leads to rickets, a condition characterized by bone deformities and growth retardation. In adults, calcium deficiency may result in osteomalacia, or "softening of the bone."

Low levels of calcium in the blood (especially one particular form of calcium called free ionized calcium) may cause a condition called tetany, in which nerve activity becomes excessive. Symptoms of tetany include muscle pain and spasms, as well as tingling and/or numbness in the hands.

What Is Glutathione
"Glutathione is a very interesting, very small molecule that is produced by the body and found in every cell," says Gustavo Bounous, MD, a retired professor of surgery at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. "It is the body's most important antioxidant because it exists within the cell."

Antioxidants, the most well-known of which are vitamins C and E, are important for good health because they neutralize free radicals which can build up in cells and cause damage.

Because glutathione exists within the cells, it is in a prime position to neutralize free radicals. It also has potentially widespread health benefits because it can be found in all types of cells, including the cells of the immune system whose job is to fight disease.

Glutathione occurs naturally in many foods, and people who eat well probably have enough in their diets, according to Dean Jones, PhD, professor of biochemistry and Director of Nutritional Health Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta. Those with diets high in fresh fruits and vegetables and freshly prepared meats are most likely just fine.

On the other hand, those with poor diets may get too little.

The strong antioxidant effect of glutathione helps keep cells running smoothly. Dr. Bounous and another glutathione expert, Jeremy Appleton, ND say that glutathione also helps the liver remove chemicals that are foreign to the body, such as drugs and pollutants.

Dr. Appleton is Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, and is Senior Science Editor for HealthNotes, a database on complementary and alternative medicine.

Evidence for the important role that glutathione plays in health comes from studies conducted with people who are severely ill. "If you look in a hospital situation at people who have cancer, AIDS, or other very serious disease, almost invariably they are depleted in glutathione," says Appleton. "The reasons for this are not completely understood, but we do know that glutathione is extremely important for maintaining intracellular health."

What Is (Decaffeinated) Green Tea
A high level of interest has been focused on green tea in recent years, and studies now suggest that green tea (Camellia Sinensis) in particular has many health benefits.

There are three main varieties of tea: green, black, and oolong. The difference between the teas is actually in the way each is processed. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols.

Remember, antioxidants are substances that scavenge cell-damaging free radicals.  These free radicals also tamper with DNA (genetic material) and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins including ultraviolet rays from the sun, radiation, cigarette smoke and air pollution also give rise to these damaging particles. Scientists believe that free radicals contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems, including cancer and heart disease.

Antioxidants such as the polyphenols found in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

The benefits of green tea have been studied extensively in people, animals, and laboratory experiments. Results from these studies suggest that green tea may be highly beneficial in the fight against a variety of ailments that plague our modern society.

What Is Graviola
A generous amount of graviola is included in every ounce of the Power of 3^TM.

Graviola is a small, upright tropical evergreen tree, five to six meters high, with large, glossy, dark green leaves. It produces a large, heart-shaped, edible fruit that is 15-23 centimeters in diameter, is yellow-green in color and has white flesh inside. The fruit is popular in South America.

Purdue University has conducted extensive research on the various compounds discovered in the leaves, fruit, bark and root of the graviola tree.

A group of substances discovered in graviola, known as acetogenins, have demonstrated a profound ability to arrest a variety of cancer cells, even those cancer cells that have proven to be multi-drug resistant. Researchers continue their efforts to synthesize these anti-cancer compounds to produce new cancer-fighting drugs. Numerous patents have been filed by Purdue University for these purposes.

What Is Chlorella
Chlorella is a natural cleanser packed with antioxidants, carotenoids, RNA and DNA, protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Chlorella aids the body in the breakdown of heavy metals and other toxins. It is the fastest reproducing singe cell in nature and contains RNA (genetic information) that strengthens and protects cells during replication. 

Perhaps nature's most intensely studied food, chlorella also helps break down heavy metals and toxins such as PCBs, DDT, mercury, cadmium and lead. Chlorella is also nature's richest source of chlorophyll, containing up to two to three times more chlorophyll than other algae and grasses.

What Is Spirulina
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and 100-plus nutrients. It contains GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid), is a potent antioxidant, and is great for bodybuilding, energy and endurance.                          

Believed to have been a staple in the ancient Aztec diet, today spirulina is considered one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.

The highest quality blue-green algae available, spirulina is grown under the intense tropical sun. Well-known as an excellent source of easily digestible protein, spirulina contains 100-plus health-promoting nutrients, including vitamin E, vegetarian B12, iron, calcium, protein, vitamins, minerals, all nine essential amino acids, and chlorophyll.

An excellent source of the rare but important fatty acid GLA, spirulina is also super-abundant in antioxidants. No wonder it is a favorite food of athletes, who use it for bodybuilding, energy and endurance.

Scientific studies at UC Davis show that spirulina may be the most potent immune-boosting food ever studied. After only two weeks, gamma interferon and interleukin levels increased by up to ten times. Gamma interferon and interleukin are essential for the body to battle a wide variety of cellular imbalances.

What Is Kelp
Kelp, commonly referred to as seaweed, grows along coastlines around the world. Botanically, it is classified as algae. It is a rich source of natural vitamins and minerals, including essential trace minerals.

Kelp is dependent upon the sea for its nourishment, and the sea is an excellent mineral source, since it is the repository of all the minerals that have been washed from the land through the millennia.

The kelp plant can grow as much as two feet per day, and the entire plant is used in herbology.

Kelp is especially high in iodine, which must be present for proper glandular function and metabolism. It also contains iron, sodium, phosphorus and calcium, as well as magnesium and potassium. Kelp is a potent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, plus amino acids. Kelp also makes a popular salt substitute.

Because the plant's nutrients are in a naturally bio-available form, they are easily assimilated by the body. Kelp is historically used as a nutritional support for the thyroid, metabolism, digestion, kidneys, circulation and immune system.  Its properties also exhibit great benefit in the fight against obesity, inflammation, arthritis and rheumatism.

What Is Barley Grass
Barley grass is one of the most potent of all leafy green vegetables, and is considered a cereal grass. Cereal grasses are unique plants that are so packed with a broad spectrum of nutrition that they are sometimes referred to as nature¹s multi-vitamin. Cultivated in the clear, fresh air of high altitudes, these grasses are exposed to intense sunlight which stimulates exceptional nutrient content.

Barley grass is a light-weight vegetarian protein full of antioxidants and digestive enzymes, as well as anti-aging properties. Known for its alkaline potential to normalize pH and counteract the build-up of toxic acids, it contains a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, vitamin K, vitamin C, B-vitamins folic acid and beta carotene, magnesium, and many others.

Barley grass is also high in chlorophyll, which is considered essential to health by many experts. Barley grass detoxifies the body, rebuilds tissue, provides an excellent source of antioxidants, promotes beneficial flora in the intestinal tract, helps normalize blood sugar, fosters weight loss, and oxygenates and alkalizes the blood, promoting glowing skin.

What Is Milk Thistle
Milk thistle, also known as Silybum marianum or Carduus marianum, is derived from the seed, pod, or fruit of the milk thistle plant.  It is used primarily to support and manage various functions of the liver.

Placebo-controlled clinical studies show that milk thistle demonstrates an impressive efficacy in reducing aminotransferases in alcoholic liver disease, and animal models suggest that flavonoids in milk thistle have antioxidant effects.

Milk thistle provides hepatocellular protection by stabilizing hepatic cell membranes. It alters the structure of the outer cell membrane of the hepatocytes to prevent penetration by liver toxins into the interior of the cell. The stimulation effect on nucleic polymerase results in an increase in ribosomal protein synthesis, and thus increases the regenerative ability of the liver and the formation of new hepatocytes.

What Is Pau D'Arco
Pau d'Arco bark comes from a tree predominantly indigenous to Argentina and Brazil, but which also grows in other tropical areas. The tree grows as tall as 30 meters and is also known by the name Taheebo.

Unlike other trees in the area, Pau d'Arco does not develop fungus growth. Its tree bark was one of the major plant sources used to promote health and immunity among the ancient Incas, and its use has continued among the Callawaya tribe in South America.

Pau d'Arco contains a chemical called lapachol, which may provide nutritional support to the immune system. The bark is stripped by hand vertically from the ground up about six or seven feet, leaving enough bark intact to ensure the life and health of the tree.

What Is Echinacea
Echinacea Purpurea is the Latin name for an herb native to Central and Southwestern United States. The plant grows in open fields and rocky soils, and bears purple flowers that resemble the Black-Eyed Susan.

Echinacea was widely used by the Plains Indians for its healthful properties. American settlers also adopted its use, and the herb has been valued by natural health care advocates since. It is one of nature's most scientifically studied herbs, especially in Europe. It has a strong historical use for supporting immune system health.

What Is Cat's Claw
Cat's claw is native to the Amazon. Its name comes from the thorns on the plant's leaves that look like the claws of a cat. The part used medicinally is the root bark. Cat's claw has a long history of traditional use by indigenous peoples in South America, who used it to treat digestive problems, arthritis, inflammation, ulcers, and to promote wound healing.

What Is Crystalline Fructose
Fruit juice accounts for approximately half the carbohydrate/sugar grams in the Power of 3^TM. The remaining carbohydrates are from crystalline fructose.

The following "Q and A" section is provided to shed some light on the difference between simple sugars and crystalline fructose.

• 
  Is Crystalline Fructose Safe for People with Diabetes?
  Yes. The American Diabetes Association policy states that fructose is acceptable in the management of diabetes. Consuming crystalline fructose will result in a significantly lower rise in blood sugar than consuming an equal amount of sucrose (table sugar) or other simple sugars. Many research studies have shown this to be true for people with both Insulin Dependent and Non-Insulin Dependent diabetes.

People with poorly controlled diabetes, however, may see a greater rise in blood sugar after eating fructose. Consult your healthcare professional for individual guidance regarding the use of the Power of 3^TM.

• 
  Is Crystalline Fructose Beneficial For People With Hypoglycemia?
  Yes. Because fructose does not cause a fast or high rise in blood sugars, it helps people with hypoglycemia avoid drastic swings in their blood sugar level from high to low. Consult with your healthcare professional for individual guidance.

• 
  Can I Use Crystalline Fructose If I Am Allergic To Corn?
  Fructose is a carbohydrate. Allergies are caused by the protein part of the food. The corn protein is processed out when making fructose and, therefore, is not likely to cause a reaction.

What Is Co-Enzyme Q10
This fascinating nutrient is absolutely essential to our health, especially the health of our heart and blood vessels. Its chemical structure was discovered in 1957 and since that time, nearly 5,000 research studies on Co-Enzyme Q have been published.

In many living creatures, the same chemical pathways that make vitamin E, vitamin K, and folic acid also make Co-Enzyme Q. While the human body cannot make these other vitamins, it appears that it can make Co-Enzyme Q by utilizing metabolic pathways called the skikimate and chorismate pathways.

Coenzyme Q is also called ubiquinone, and is often designated as Co-Enzyme Q10. The number "10" following its name refers to a specific part of its chemical structure, known as its isoprene tail.

Co-Enzyme Q lies at the heart of our cells' energy-producing process. Tiny organs inside our cells, called mitochondria, take fat and other substances and convert them into usable energy. This process always requires Co-Enzyme Q. In some cells, like heart cells, this energy conversion process can be the difference between life and death - and so can the activity of Co-Enzyme Q.

Co-Enzyme Q is a well-established antioxidant used by the body to protect cells from oxygen damage. The exact mechanism for this protective effect is not clear. Nevertheless, up to 95% less damage to cell membranes has been demonstrated following supplementation with co-Enzyme Q.

The antioxidant protection that can be supplied by co-Enzyme Q has prompted clinicians to use this nutrient in a wide variety of heart-related conditions in which the heart muscle needs special protection from oxygen damage. These conditions include arrhythmia, angina, heart attack, mitral valve prolapse, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure.

What Is Selenium
This micro-mineral is required in the diet on a daily basis, but only in very small amounts of 50 micrograms or less. The other micro-minerals that humans must obtain from food sources are arsenic, boron, cobalt, copper, chromium, fluorine, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium and zinc.

In the case of selenium, the amount needed from food is actually measured in micrograms and ranges from 20-70 micrograms. A microgram is one-thousandth of a milligram and, in one ounce, there are about 30 million micrograms.

While the nutritional value of all plant-based foods depend upon the soil in which it was grown, the selenium content of plants seems particularly sensitive to soil concentrations. For this reason, most of the early research on selenium focused on diseases in sheep, cattle, turkeys and pigs and involved low soil concentrations of selenium and insufficient amounts of selenium in the forage plants eaten by these animals.

Although humans must breathe oxygen to stay alive, oxygen is a risky substance inside the body because it can make molecules overly reactive. When oxygen-containing molecules become too reactive, they can damage the cell structures around them. In chemistry, this imbalanced situation involving oxygen is called oxidative stress.

Selenium helps prevent oxidative stress by working together with a group of nutrients that prevent oxygen molecules from becoming too reactive. This group of nutrients includes vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, selenium and vitamin B3. In many instances of heart disease, for example, where oxidative stress has been shown to be the source of blood vessel damage, low intake of selenium has been identified as a contributing factor to the disease.

Similarly, in rheumatoid arthritis where oxidative stress damages the area inside and around the joints, dietary deficiency of selenium has been shown to be a contributing cause of debilitating joint damage.

In addition to iodine, selenium is a critical mineral for maintaining proper function of the thyroid gland. In order for the thyroid to produce the most active form of a hormone called T3, the presence of selenium is essential.  Selenium also helps regulate the amount of hormone that is produced.

Accumulated evidence from prospective studies, intervention trials and studies on animal models of cancer suggest a strong inverse correlation between selenium intake and cancer incidence. Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the cancer-preventive activities of selenium.

Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, and to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells as well as induce their apoptosis, which is the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.

In addition, selenium is incorporated at the active site of many proteins, including glutathione peroxidase, which is particularly important for cancer protection. One of the body's most powerful antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase is used in the liver to detoxify a wide range of potentially harmful molecules. When levels of glutathione peroxidase are too low, these toxic molecules cannot disarmed and wreak havoc on any cells with which they come in contact by damaging cellular DNA and promoting the development of cancer cells.