What do heart problems, abnormal cell growth, arthritis, strokes, accelerated ageing, cataracts and viral infections have in common? Traditionally not a lot, which is why hospitals and research institutions have a department to deal with each of them. Some researchers believe, however, that one linking factor may be the destructive behavior of free radicals - atoms or molecules that have an imbalance in their electronic configuration, making them highly reactive or oxidative.

Everyday, our bodies naturally create millions of free radicals as a result of ordinary metabolism, although many can be triggered by external sources such as air pollution, tobacco smoke, toxic run-off, pesticides, domestic solvents and radiation. Fortunately, we can naturally neutralize these ‘hot-headed’ radicals with antioxidant nutrients from our diets and our body’s own metabolic enzymes, before they can damage cells. However, the reduction in the nutritive quality of our diets, the increases in pollution and toxicity in the environment, and the stresses of modern life, have meant that our natural ability to fight free radicals may be compromised. This is why antioxidant supplements are so important to take, and why many people now supplement their own diets with these protectors.

Traditionally, the Vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium have formed the backbone of antioxidant supplementation. These vitamins and minerals are very effective in neutralizing free radicals, accounting for their increasing popularity in dietary supplements. Now, however, there are a host of new antioxidant available, lead by one called OPC which is many times more powerful than anything that has come before. In fact, it has been scientifically proven to have a free radical neutralizing potency of eighteen times that of Vitamin C and fifty times that of Vitamin E. Where does this remarkably powerful antioxidant come from? The simple grape seed.

First isolated by Professor Jack Masquelier at the University of Bordeaux, this natural extract is closely related in molecular structure to the bioflavanoids, although its chemical behaviour is so extraordinary and uncharacteristic that Professor Masquelier has classified it in a group by itself - the bioflavanols. With a simple three letter abbreviation to shorten its complex name, oligomers procyanidoliques, OPC is set to become the forerunner in antioxidant protection. In fact, it is so powerful that it can even protect other antioxidants in the body, making it the antioxidants’ antioxidant.

To be such a powerful antioxidant is extraordinary enough, but OPC has another remarkable talent - the ability to help protect collagen and elastin - the main structural proteins in the body responsible for the elasticity and strength of our skin and blood vessels, as well as that of many other organs and tissues. Over time, free radical damage can damage these proteins in a process called cross-linking, and as a result they loose this strength and elasticity, which can result in premature ageing of the skin, hardening of the arteries and general deterioration of our biological efficiency.

All in all, OPC has five properties that work synergistically together to optimise our health:

1. OPC is a very powerful and natural antioxidant, with a potency many times that of antioxidant vitamins.

2. OPC has a remarkable water solubility and bioavailability - orders of magnitude higher than the usual dietary bioflavanoids such as rutin and hesperidin. This means that OPC can permeate all tissues in the body, including the brain.

3. OPC may help the body to defend the collagen and elastin in our bodies - the substances that gives our skin and our blood vessels their structure and elasticity - from free radical attack.

4. OPC may help the body to inhibit the production of histamine, the substance responsible for the symptoms of allergies and the inflammation involved in physical injuries and certain forms of arthritis.

5. OPC is non-toxic even in very large amounts. It is also safe to take with other medication.

If you want to help maximize your body's defence against the ravages of free radical attack then you cannot choose a more powerful antioxidant than OPC. In the words of Professor Jack Masquelier: “With OPC we finally have at our disposal a real weapon against premature ageing of living structures. A broad consensus is developing now that oxygen-free radicals are responsible for the deterioration of these structures.” (OPC in Practice - Bert Schwitters)

Alpha-GUARD is a synergistic combination of high quality OPC (each vegetarian capsule contains 60mg of OPC); stalwart antioxidant vitamins such as A, C (non acidic) and E; organic selenium; and the extracts of Ginkgo biloba (which is revered for its ability to improve memory, thinking, reasoning and mental alertness) and bilberry (another powerful bioflavanoid). This unique formulation offers unparalleled antioxidant protection for both brain and body.

60 Vegetarian Capsules Alpha-GUARD (from The Really Healthy Company) - £19.00