Saturday, February 25, 2006

BioPhotonic Scanner in depth.



By simply placing the palm of your hand in front of a safe, low-energy blue light laser, you obtain an immediate reading of your carotenoid antioxidant levels — your skin carotenoid score.

As you continue to eat more fruits and vegetables and supplement with LifePak®, you can track your skin carotenoid score for evidence of improved carotenoid antioxidant levels.

Pharmanex® is the exclusive owner of the patented BioPhotonic Scanner technology. Developed by doctors and physicists at a top U.S. research university, the BioPhotonic Scanner is the world's first measuring tool for carotenoid antioxidant levels using Raman technology. The scanning technology is available for use by the general public through the Pharmanex® network of independent distributors who specialize in health education and distribution of nutritional supplements.

In this section you’ll learn about:

  • Free Radicals

  • Antioxidants

  • Antioxidant Measuring with the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner

  • Skin Carotenoid Score

  • LifePak® Money-back Guarantee




Free Radicals


    What are Free Radicals?

  • Scientists believe free radicals contribute to the aging process. It’s a fact of life … we age, every second, of everyday. And although we can’t stop the aging process, we can take steps to improve our health as we age. Certain known causes of free radical damage such as smoking or sun exposure can have negative impacts on how we look and feel. Pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals – even the air we breathe creates free radicals within our bodies.


  • Why should we be concerned about free radicals?

  • Free radicals are highly reactive, short lived molecules that can damage proteins, fats, and even DNA inside of our bodies. Every day our cells get about 75 thousand free radical hits to their DNA. Most of the damage can be repaired by repairing enzymes inside the body, but the little bit of damage that can’t be repaired accumulates over time and can add to the problems associated with the normal aging process.


Antioxidants


    What are Antioxidants?

  • There are many different kinds of antioxidants and they work together to help fight the harmful effects of free radicals. Our bodies produce some antioxidants and other important antioxidants are consumed in our diets. All of these antioxidants work together to form a powerful system to support good antioxidant health.


  • Antioxidants can actually capture or neutralize free radicals and therefore stop the chain reaction. One of the most powerful classes of antioxidants is carotenoids. Carotenoid antioxidants can help break the chain reactions of free radical damage.


  • That’s why it’s important to get measured and know your Pharmanex® Skin Carotenoid Score. After your initial measurement, you can take steps to raise your antioxidant levels by eating properly and by taking supplements. By supplementing your diet with LifePak® and being scanned every 60 days, you will now be able to track your body’s skin carotenoid score and determine if LifePak® is helping to improve your antioxidant level.


  • “Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomized trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements.” Journal of the American Medical Association, June, 2002.



Antioxidant Measuring with the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner


  • Scientists from around the world are talking about a brand new invention that is on the verge of changing the way people think about antioxidant health – the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner. This revolutionary tool enables us, for the first time, to measure our level of carotenoid antioxidant protection quickly.


  • Antioxidants are our frontline defense against the free radicals that constantly affect our cells. Over 30,000 scientific papers have been written about free radicals and antioxidants in the last 20 years. With the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner we can now obtain an accurate measurement of your personal antioxidant level.


    How does it work?

  • Sir C. V. Raman discovered the technology on which the scanner is based in the 1920’s. Sir Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the Raman Spectroscopy in 1930.


  • That was in the 1920's, but until the onset of the computer, optical and laser technology reached its current sophistication, the concept was not really practical.


  • Raman’s discovery proved that there are certain molecules, like carotenoids, that can be excited with a certain wavelength of laser light. The molecules then begin to resonate in very particular ways, releasing a very specific light signal of an altered wavelength that then can be measured. This discovery was revolutionary at the time, but computer and laser technologies could not fully apply it until recently. In just the last ten years, researchers at a major university, led by Dr. Werner Gellerman, actually started putting all these pieces of technology together.


  • The scanner technology is a tremendous scientific breakthrough. Because carotenoids are found throughout the body as part of the body’s antioxidant network, scientists believed this technology could be used to measure carotenoid levels in human tissue. That’s when the scientists at Pharmanex® collaborated with Dr. Gellerman to develop the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner.


  • By simply placing the palm of your hand in front of a safe, low-energy blue light laser, you obtain an immediate reading of your carotenoid antioxidant level—your skin carotenoid score.


Skin Carotenoid Score


    What does my Skin Carotenoid Score mean?

  • Your Skin Carotenoid Score is a measurement of the presence of carotenoid antioxidants in your skin. Carotenoids neutralize damaging free radical molecules and are absorbed in human plasma and tissue, providing an excellent indicator of a person’s overall antioxidant health status. Unlike other methods of measuring antioxidants, your Skin Carotenoid Score shows the stable level of carotenoid antioxidants in your skin—providing you with a more accurate and reliable biomarker of your antioxidant defense level. Your Skin Carotenoid Score will help you determine whether you are consuming an adequate amount of carotenoid antioxidant-containing nutrients, and how taking Lifepak regularly could improve your antioxidant levels and your overall antioxidant health.


  • With the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner we have an actual quantifiable measurement of a person’s carotenoid antioxidant level. People who have measured antioxidant metabolism for their entire lives, people like Dr. Lester Packer, look at this machine and wish they had it 40 years ago as they began research on antioxidants. “This kind of tool is going to become very valuable, not only in assessing the health status of people, but using it in an investigative way to determine how changing your lifestyle may improve your antioxidant status,” Lester Packer, Ph.D.



The LifePak® Guarantee



LifePak® Money-back Guarantee

In order to take advantage of the LifePak® and g3 Guarantees, you must adhere to the following requirements:

    1. The guarantees apply to LifePak®, LifePak® Prime, LifePak® Women, Lifepak® nano products & g3 ONLY.

    2. You must receive your initial scan before you begin taking the listed LifePak® or g3.

      LifePak® Guarantee:

      This guarantee does not apply to people who have taken LifePak®, LifePak® Prime, LifePak® Women, or Lifepak® nano within the past 3 months.

      g3 Guarantee:

      This guarantee does not apply to people who have taken g3 within the past 3 months.



    3. You must establish a monthly LifePak or g3 Auto-Delivery before, during or not later than 7 days following your initial scan.

    4. Usage requirements:

      LifePak®:

      You must begin taking two packets LifePak®, LifePak® Prime, LifePak® Women, or Lifepak® nano per day upon receipt of your product following your initial scan and for a total of 60 days before your subsequent scan.


      g3:

      You must begin taking no less than 2 oz per day of g3 upon receipt of your product following your initial scan and for a total of 60 days before your subsequent scan.




    5. The money back offer is valid for individuals who have not taken LifePak® or g3 for at least 3 months previous to their initial scan, and is applicable when no lifestyle changes have been made to decrease antioxidant intake or increase free radical exposure as compared to each individual's baseline measurement.

    6. Approximately 30 days following your initial scan you will receive a complimentary scan certificate from Pharmanex. No sooner than 60 days from your starting date, and no later than 70 days, you must redeem that certificate by presenting it to a certified scan operator (most likely the scan operator that initially scanned you). You will receive additional subsequent scan certificates free of charge in each ADR shipment you receive.



The LifePak® Guarantee asserts that after 60 days of consuming LifePak®, LifePak® Prime, LifePak® Women, or Lifepak® nano your Skin Carotenoid Score will have increased. If you meet the above criteria and your score has not increased from the time you were initially scanned and began taking LifePak® (for a consecutive 60 day period), you may submit a written request for a total refund of the purchase price of LifePak® (less shipping costs). Your money will be refunded within 2 to 4 weeks from receipt of your written request. All requests must be mailed to: Attention Pharmanex LifePak Guarantee, 75 West Center Street, Provo, UT 84601

The g3 Guarantee asserts that after 60 days on g3 (at a consumption rate of 2oz. /day), your Skin Carotenoid Score will have increased. If you meet the above criteria and your score has not increased from the time you were initially scanned and began taking g3 (for a consecutive 60 day period), you may submit a written request for a total refund of the purchase price of the g3 (less shipping costs). Your money will be refunded within 2 to 4 weeks from receipt of your written request. All requests must be mailed to "Attention Pharmanex g3 Guarantee, 75 West Center Street, Provo, UT 84601

Within one week of each scan you can view and track the progress of your scores online by entering your scan certificate number or your username and password.

Scanner, LifePak and g3 Flash Presentations


Read more!

Saturday, February 18, 2006

The Importance of Supplementation


Newsweek Cover Story Highlights Importance of Supplementation, Crucial Nutrients




The January 16, 2006 edition of Newsweek featured an extensive article on the relationship of nutrients to critical health functions in, “Health for Life: Living Longer, Living Better.” Notably, the article touts the benefits of nutrients and supplementation, and notes that few people are getting enough of what they need to stay healthy. Topics covered within this article include suggested supplement dosages, scientific studies involving nutrients, intestinal flora, and what supplements nutritional experts take. The article also pointed out the importance of choosing supplements based on efficacy and safety, which are only two of many positive characteristics built into the Pharmanex® 6S Quality Process.

Multivitamins, fish oil, and probiotics received the most fanfare in this article as important “nutrition insurance” to be taken in addition to a healthy diet. The authors noted that calcium helps maintain strong bones as it works with vitamin K and vitamin D as well as exercise. Vitamin D helps support the immune system, and helps in combating free radicals. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are “like neuronal fertilizer,” says a psychiatrist at the national Institutes of Health. The brain is 60 percent fats, and it needs omega-3s for optimal function. Omega-3s help maintain mental performance and help nerve and brain cells to better communicate with each other. In addition, nutritionist Bruce Watkins at Purdue University has found that they can help stimulate bone-building cells.



lifepak® nano




Not only does lifepak® nano contain beneficial amounts of calcium and vitamins D3 and K, but it also blends more than 40 other crucial nutrients for optimal health, reflecting the latest research findings. With one packet containing a comprehensive antioxidant, vitamin and mineral blend with phytonutrients, and an adjoining packet containing CR-6 LipoNutrients™, getting your Omega-3s is much easier.


*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.



The Pharmanex® 6S Quality Process




Pharmanex® follows a strict regimen of quantifiable product development standards called the 6S Quality Process. With this product-development process, Pharmanex sets industry standards for quality, safety, and efficacy. This complex set of highly integrated measurable activities ensures every Pharmanex product is absolutely safe and really works. This is one of many factors that make Pharmanex “The Measurable Difference.”

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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

New Vitamin D Studies.


Importance of Vitamin D Supplementation Highlighted in New Studies/Press




Three specific studies on the health benefits of vitamin D have been published recently, strongly increasing calls for greater vitamin D intake through supplementation. One such study, which is to be published in the February issue of The American Journal of Public Health, combined 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to colon, breast, prostate or ovarian health.

New research published in The Lancet this month (vol. 367, No. 9504, pp 36-43) found that Vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women, especially during winter months, could lead to healthier bones in their offspring. The study, by a team at the University of Southampton in the UK, is the latest in a series of reports showing the role of this vitamin in protecting bones. Vitamin D is known to promote calcium and phosphorous absorption from food and is essential in tooth and bone formation. But the new research shows the importance of bone health from the very start of life.

Vitamin D is made by the body on exposure to sunshine, or can be consumed in small amounts in milk, fish, liver and egg yolk. However because of the low amounts present in the diet, and lack of sunshine in many climates, some estimates claim that at much as 60 percent of the population is vitamin D deficient. Although recent studies have linked deficiency of the vitamin to higher risk of serious health complications, there are still clear dangers of exposing skin to sunlight for long periods. This has prompted scientists to urge greater intake of the vitamin from the diet and from supplementation.



lifepak® nano



Lifepak® nano offers 150% RDA of vitamin D. Lifepak® nano is a nutritional anti-aging program formulated to nourish and protect cells, tissues, and organs in the body with the specific purpose to guard against the ravages of aging. Lifepak® nano offers the highest bioavailability with a first-ever nanotechnology process and advanced levels of key anti-aging nutrients in a comprehensive formula available exclusively through Pharmanex.*


*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


Read more!

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Do you really know what is in your vitamins?


Pharmanex® 6S quality process


There are literally several hundred thousand vitamin companies throughout the world that sell vitamins. Most of these companies get their ingredients from the same few manufacturers and the only difference between these companies is the packaging. By ordering as few as 100 bottles, you too can have your own vitamin brand. No science, clinical studies or research. No substantiation, just a different label.

The Pharmanex® 6S Quality Process involves a complex set of highly integrated activities that ensures every Pharmanex® product is absolutely safe and effective.

  • S1 - Selection
    • Each ingredient Pharmanex® selects for use has met strict standards for efficacy, safety, and quality. Pharmanex employs scientists at research facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Provo, Utah, who work full-time screening scientific journals, clinical studies, and historical texts in search of new ingredients to use in Pharmanex® products. These scientists access a database of more than 5,000 scientific journals and clinical studies, while their Chinese counterparts are able to tap into a collection of historical texts representing one of the world's greatest traditional medicinal resources. Experts on Western health and nutritional science work closely with well-trained Chinese M.D.s and professors of natural medicine to select ingredients that will be the most beneficial.

      After an ingredient has been identified for use, Pharmanex scientists collaborate with an extensive affiliate network to conduct laboratory and clinical trials to confirm ingredient efficacy and safety. Pharmanex research is at the forefront of nutritional science, receiving international recognition in clinical journals and scientific symposiums.


  • S2 - Sourcing
    • Once Pharmanex has selected a particular ingredient, like Reishi, samples are gathered from various areas of the world for testing in our labs. Once the active ingredients and specific species are identified, our sourcing experts investigate potential commercial sources worldwide. There are hundreds of factors that can affect active ingredients. These factors include weather conditions, nutrients or toxins in the soil, insects, crop rotations, amounts of sunlight, temperatures, and so on. Only quality ingredients that pass extensive Pharmanex criteria for authenticity, efficacy, and safety are considered. We test for density, moisture, heavy metals, pesticides, solvent residue, and microbiology such as bacteria, Ecoli, and more. If there is a failure in any area, the entire shipment is rejected.

      Pharmanex does not rely on vendors for quality assurance. Instead, every time Pharmanex takes delivery of a raw ingredient used in its supplements, a member of the sourcing staff goes to the location(s) to inspect the shipment. This involves traveling around the world to ensure the highest quality for every Pharmanex® product


  • S3 - Structure
    • Some companies make supplements that are actually missing the beneficial ingredients. Just because a product contains a particular plant doesn't mean it contains the active ingredients that offer real health benefits. In some plants these benefits are available only in a certain part of the leaf, harvested at a specific time of day during a particular part of the year. In other cases, the root or stem might contain the beneficial ingredients. For example, a nut can have many beneficial properties, yet it's the meat that you want to use, not the shell.

      It can take many months, sometimes years, to identify active ingredients and fully comprehend a molecular structure. our scientists analyze these chemical structures not only to understand the active constituents, but also to identify any potentially unsafe compounds. Once these are determined, more tests help verify what levels of active ingredients are most efficacious. Then a "chemical fingerprint" is created to guide consistent manufacturing.


  • S4 - Standardization
    • When creating any product it is important to be consistent in order to end up with the same product each time. Take a loaf of bread, for example. If a baker decides to use different ratios of portions than the recipe calls for, then the end product will never be the same. Unless a company has a "chemical fingerprint" for its active ingredients, and pays excruciating detail to the manufacturing process, the product will be different every time.

      Although wide variations in active ingredients are characteristic of most nutrional products, each capsule of a Pharmanex® product consistently contains the same amount of each active ingredient. This is achieved through strict (often proprietary) standardization processes that were developed through chemical fingerprinting. The end product is ensured to have consistent quality.


  • S5 - Safety
    • Pharmanex leads the way in setting the highest industry standards for safe products. Through every step of development our scientists follow an involved regimen to ensure all ingredients are safe, and an ingredient can be rejected at any stage of the process. For example, during selection, certain natural chemical compounds in a plant may be toxic. If this is the case, scientists determine how these compounds can be removed, and if they can't be, no matter how promising the product is otherwise, the project is rejected.

      Safeguards like these during each step of the product creation process guarantee the safety of each Pharmanex® product.


  • S6 - Substantiation
    • Scientific testing at the highest level takes place for every product Pharmanex creates. Not only do we publish and conduct our own studies, we build on research conducted by our Scientific Advisory Board and other affiliates, including some of the most respected minds in science. At Pharmanex, our product claims are substantiated by documented pre-clinical and clinical studies. Our adherence to documented proof, instead of anecdotes for substantiation, differentiates Pharmanex from other supplement companies.

      When all the components of quality are in place, products stand up to scrutiny. Such is the case with Pharmanex. The unique convergence of traditional wisdom and the rigors of clinical science at Pharmanex are unmatched in the dietary supplement industry. Each Pharmanex® product delivers the highest quality and the results you expect. Every package. Every capsule. Every time.


    Read more!

    Saturday, February 04, 2006

    Impeachment is Just and Fair


    from JC Designs, via Impeach Bush Coalition



    The low rumble across this country for the impeachment of George W. Bush is beginning to gain momentum. No longer is it just a rumble. In fact, it is beginning to climb steadily to the level of a thunderous clap. Not quite there yet, but getting there.

    No matter what political party has the reigns, we as Americans, must DEMAND better from our elected officials. My personal views and core beliefs continuously push me to strive to "Live Better, Longer." I am of the opinion that the current administration fosters neither living better, nor longer for anyone outside (middle class and poor - most Americans) their privileged circles.

    The call for impeachment is not just coming from "die-hard" Democrats, but from Republicans as well. This growing, united call for impeachment is ironically a bi-product of severe divisiveness within our government and between our countries citizens. People are beginning to wake up from the hatred and fog of corruption. Waking up and wondering how we have gotten to this point. One day we were friends from different political opinions and the next, anger and bitterness...Hatred.

    Yes, we citizens are waking up from the dank, dark blanket of corruption. We are realizing that, to the benefit of our country we must demand our leaders to be fair, honest and just, first, no matter what political affiliation. But, to turn a blind eye, deaf ear or silent tongue when our leaders attempt to perverse and corrupt our system will be to our detriment.

    I support the call for impeachment, not because the Bush Administration is of the Republican Party, but because of the lies and corruption. He is Commander and Chief. He is responsible for ALL of his subordinates. For those of you still on the fence, you have to demand follow-up from the media. It is the FINAL check in our checks-and-balance system. The media lost its voice for most of Bush's Presidency, but they are beginning to sound off due to public outcry. Due in part that nobody likes to feel stupid by finding things out well after the fact, Democrats and Republicans alike.

    ...Besides, the photo was just TOOOO FUNNY TO PASS UP!


    Read more!

    Friday, February 03, 2006

    Will the REAL Superfruit juice please stand up.


    G3™ Scores Higher than Xango™ or Tahitian Noni®



    February 3, 2006 — A new clinical study by Pharmanex® scientists entitled Effect of G3™ and Other Juices on Antioxidant Network Status As Measured by Raman Spectroscopy shows that G3™ scores higher than Xango™ or Tahitian Noni®.

    This study assessed antioxidant benefits and bioavailability of carotenoids as a biomarker of overall antioxidant protection from three different branded fruit juice products. The study concluded that consumption of G3™ led to higher Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner scores than either Xango™ (mangosteen) or Tahitian Noni® at weeks four, six, and eight.

    Interestingly, no changes in the Noni® group were observed other than a moderate 2,400 ± 1,060 count increase at week 8 and consumption of Xango™ (mangosteen) had no effect on Scanner score at any time.

    G3™ increased Scanner scores 375% more than either Xango™ (mangosteen) or Noni® Juice.



    Pharmanex G3™


    G3™ is an antioxidant-rich blend featuring Gac and three other “super fruits”. G3™ rejuvenates your body on a cellular level, protects your DNA against free radical damage, and supports your immune system.

    Read more!