Now available in the United States, Flavay® is the actual polyphenol that has been licensed and sold in France for cardiovascular benefits since 1950.
Flavay® has been sold world-wide for cardiovascular health and extensively tested in humans over a period of 60 years. The cardioprotective activity of Flavay® has been established by many significant studies, demonstrating several important ways in which Flavay® may mitigate the risk of heart attack and stroke.
U.S. Patent No. 4,698,360
“Radical Scavenger” Effect of Flavay®
Patented and licensed in France for its vascular benefits, the U.S. Government granted Dr. Masquelier a patent on October 6, 1987 which allows his proanthocyanidins complex, now sold as Flavay®, to be used as an antioxidant here in the United States.
"[A] method for preventing and fighting the harmful biological effects of free radicals in the organism of warm blooded animals and more especially human beings, namely cerebral involution, hypoxia following atherosclerosis, cardiac or cerebral infarction, tumour promotion, inflammation, ischaemia, alterations of the synovial liquid, collagen degradation, among others. The method consists in administering to said animals and especially to human beings an amount, efficient against said effects, of a plant extract with a proanthocyanidins content which has a radical scavenger effect"—Dr. Jack Masquelier, U.S. Patent No. 4,698,360.
The powerful free radical scavenging protection of Flavay® is especially beneficial to the cardiovascular system, as we'll discuss next.
Flavay® Normalizes Reactivity
("Stickiness") of Blood Platelets
Flavay® improves nitric oxide levels which causes muscles surrounding the blood vessels to relax, and blood platelets to return to their normal, smooth condition.
Flavay® protects the cardiovascular system in another way. Considerable research demonstrates that Flavay® causes blood platelets to return to their normal, smooth condition; helping to keep the blood platelets from becoming "sticky" and developing a tendency to unnecessarily clump together. Research shows that Flavay® improves nitric oxide levels produced by cells that line the arteries. Nitric oxide controls the muscles surrounding the blood vessels and causes them to relax. At the same time, nitric oxide causes blood platelets to return to their normal, smooth condition. This can reduce the dangerous formation of the blood clots which cause coronary thrombosis resulting in myocardial infraction. Thus, we can see two important ways in which Flavay® can help prevent the primary causes of heart attack and stroke. But that isn’t all.
Flavay® Strengthens Blood Vessels and Capillaries
Flavay® actually strengthens collagen in vascular walls and capillaries (the smallest vessels), making the vessels stronger and more elastic. Flavay® alters the membrane receptor conformation of vascular walls, reducing the damaging effects of the destructive enzymes elastase, collagenase and hyaluronidase, by preventing them from attaching to and degrading vascular walls. Flavay® further prevents destruction of vascular walls by preventing the attachment to membranes of histamine and hyaluronidase, both of which can decrease the strength of vessel walls. Thus, in addition to preventing the root causes of vessel occlusion, Flavay® strengthens vessels, thereby reducing the risk of a rupture or hemorrhage, and helping to prevent and relieve vascular fragility.
Inflammation: A Major Risk in Cardiovascular Disease
—Mr. Don P.
—Ms. A. C.
The latest research shows that chronic inflammation from ordinary bacterial infections plays a major role in coronary heart disease and suggests that inflammation plays an even bigger role than cholesterol as a trigger for heart attacks. Recent studies suggest that biological markers of inflammation identify people at high risk of developing the coronary heart disease, and an association has been shown to exist between chronic infections, inflammatory markers and coronary heart disease.
A recent study supported by The National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Foundation has shown that the early lesions and cholesterol deposits that mark atherosclerosis first develop as inflammation. As the inflamed blood vessels narrow, plaques build up inside, blocking blood flow and often leading to serious disease, such as stroke and heart attacks. A leading researcher in that study, Dr. Louis J. Ignarro (winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery concerning nitric oxide as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system and UCLA professor of molecular and medical pharmacology) stated that treatment with antioxidants may prevent blood vessel inflammation and subsequent damage.
We now know that ordinary bacterial infections such as sinus infections, urinary tract infections, bronchitis, periodontal (gum) disease, and stomach ulcers are linked to heart disease. Inflammation activates white blood cells, which use free radicals to destroy bacteria and other foreign objects in the blood. These white blood cells migrate to the arteries where some of the free radicals leak out, oxidizing LDL and damaging the linings of arteries. This process also elevates the C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood; a chemical necessary for fighting injury and infection. Inflammation can be measured with a blood test that checks for CRP.
A recent article published by the American Heart Association reported that chronic infections may triple the risk of atherosclerosis, even in persons that don't have the well-known risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or lack of exercise.
Flavay® is Particularly Effective
Flavay® inhibits the release and synthesis of histamine (which produces accelerated blood flow, dilates capillaries and increases their permeability, thereby leaking plasma into surrounding tissue), a key factor in the promotion of inflammation. Studies demonstrate that the anti-histamine action of Flavay® is obtained through inhibiting the activity of the enzyme histidine decarboxylase. Studies have demonstrated that Flavay® may lower the production of histamine with as much as 86% inhibition of histidine decarboxylase. This is of particular interest in protecting the cardiovascular system.
It's not surprising that inflammation can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease because inflammation is caused by the overproduction of free radicals in a specific area of the body. It is known that superoxide production is increased in atherosclerosis and this oxidative stress contributes to vascular damage. Superoxide is a free radical known to be involved in inflammation. Flavay® is a powerful antioxidant that readily quenches the superoxide free radicals and the other free radicals produced by inflammation.
Free Radicals in Cardiovascular Disease
Free radicals are involved in the progression of cardiovascular disease in several different ways. Much of the damage that occurs in both heart attacks and strokes is caused by reperfusion injury: the burst of superoxide free radicals that flow in as the blood flow resumes. The good news is that the nutrients in Flavay® can protect tissues from this burst of superoxide free radicals.
Flavay® has the greatest ability to control or destroy free radicals. As a free radical fighter, Flavay® comes to the aid of the body more quickly than other antioxidants, reducing the potential for free radical damage. Flavay® also possesses more reactive sites for neutralizing free radicals than other known antioxidants. Furthermore, Flavay® permits reactivity with both positively and negatively charged free radical species. What this means is that Flavay® can “quench” or “scavenge” (neutralize) a broad variety of free radicals, including the superoxide free radical. Highly reactive as an antioxidant in both lipid (fat) and aqueous (water) phases, Flavay® neutralizes oxygen free radicals and is a valuable protector of healthy cells in a variety of internal conditions. This is a unique property among antioxidants, as most work either in lipid or aqueous phases, but not both.
Flavay® is superior to other antioxidants because its protective effects are multiplied in the body: while it provides its own, powerful antioxidant protection, it also supports the dynamic interplay between other antioxidants in the body. Flavay’s® ability to “recycle,” or regenerate vitamins C and E after they have quenched free radicals vastly extends their unique antioxidant powers, helping the body to maintain its synergistic antioxidant balance.
The Good-Bad Free Radical: Nitric Oxide
Contemporary scientific studies have established another way in which free radicals can promote atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and how one free radical in particular, nitric oxide, plays a central role.
Nitric oxide (sometimes referred to as "NO") became the subject of the prestigious Nobel Prize in Medicine when, among other functions, it was determined that it was a powerful vasodilator (the opening or widening of blood vessels which leads to increased blood flow). Nitric oxide is produced in the endothelial cells (cells that line the interior of blood vessels) from arginine, and the nutrients in Flavay® act on the endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide, which, in turn, relaxes the blood vessels. This action counteracts the vasoconstricting effects (the closing or narrowing of blood vessels that leads to decreased blood flow) of the stress hormone adrenaline and also diminishes the threat of platelets clumping.
Thus, nitric oxide is essential for normal blood circulation as it controls the muscular tone of blood vessels and regulates circulation and blood flow. However, excessive amounts of nitric oxide can be deadly to the cardiovascular system and actually contribute to heart disease and strokes, and many other apparently different disorders (such as arthritis, asthma and Parkinson's disease). High levels of nitric oxide can restrict blood flow and promote production of more free radicals, including the dangerous peroxynitrate. Altogether this shows that in order to have good circulatory health, the body must activate the optimum levels of nitric oxide—and research shows that Flavay® can help regulate that balance by preventing the overproduction of nitric oxide in the body.
Regulating Nitric Oxide: The "Double-Edged Sword"
Scientific studies show that Flavay® helps to modulate the effects of nitric oxide. This is very important because, as discussed above, some nitric oxide is essential to good health and too much can kill cells. Phrases such as "double-edged sword" are frequently applied to nitric oxide in health and disease. This emphasizes the importance of modulating this free radical in the body. Research demonstrates that Flavay® can help to maintain the optimal level of this free radical by helping the body to produce adequate levels—and to neutralize nitric oxide where it does harm.
Flavay® is Your Best Weapon Against Toxic Free Radicals
Research also demonstrates that Flavay® can quench the hydroxyl radical. This is extremely important. Of all the free radicals formed in the body, the hydroxyl radical is the most dangerous because it can directly attack DNA. As a free radical scavenger, Flavay® is like an antioxidant prize fighter that can successfully take on all challengers, big or small, in any kind of weather.
Antioxidants: The Sum is Greater Than the Parts
Until recently, scientists believed that each antioxidant worked separately in the body, independently of the others. We now know that isn't true. Current research demonstrates that antioxidants work as a team, in sequence and in a complementary fashion, even "recycling" each other for a more powerful, synergistic effect. Harvard researchers found in a study of 87,000 female nurses that a combination of antioxidant vitamins (beta-carotene and vitamins C and E) provided far greater protection from cardiovascular disease than the single antioxidants. Flavay® is a powerful antioxidant that recycles and potentiates vitamin C, a key player in the antioxidant army, and Flavay Plus® thereby optimizes the synergy created by these antioxidant soldiers.
Synergistic Help for Cardiovascular & Circulatory Health
Vitamin A (Beta-carotene and cartenoids): Flavay Plus® contains the preferred form of Vitamin A, beta-carotene (Betatene™). Beta-carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A only as the body needs it and what isn't converted remains as a powerful antioxidant, shown to benefit the cardiovascular system. The beta-carotene in Flavay Plus® is the highest quality, full-spectrum, patented Betatene™, a complete array of plant-derived, antioxidant cartenoids: beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, and lycopene.
Vitamin C: Flavay Plus® also contains vitamin C: water-soluble, a potent free radical scavenger, recycles vitamin E, plays a primary role in the formation of collagen, essential for vascular health and a strong immune system. Controlled studies prove the contribution of vitamin C in the manufacture of white blood cells and interferon.
In 1998, several well-controlled studies showed that vitamin C enables the arterial system to expand and contract with youthful elasticity. Cardiologists often prescribe nitroglycerine and longer-acting nitrate drugs to dilate the coronary arteries and relieve angina pain. Nitrate drugs not only improve coronary blood flow, but they also lower the oxygen demand of the heart by reducing peripheral vascular resistance.
Unfortunately, nitrate drugs also produce negative effects. The main limiting factor to the nitrate drugs is tolerance, i.e., the vascular system stops responding to the dilating effects of the drugs and angina is no longer controlled. Nitrate drugs may also cause a progressive weakening of the heart muscle cell's ability to produce energy. When vitamin C is administered to coronary artery disease patients, the vasodilating effects of the nitrate drugs may be significantly prolonged and the energy producing capacity of the cells maintained.
A double-blind study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (1998; Vol. 31(6), pp.1323-1329) compared the effects of nitrate drugs in people receiving vitamin C to a placebo group not receiving vitamin C. The doctors concluded the study by stating "These results indicate that combination therapy with vitamin C is potentially useful for preventing the development of nitrate tolerance."
It's also important to note that Flavay® dramatically extends the activity of vitamin C in the body.
Vitamin E: The body’s principal fat-soluble antioxidant and must be obtained through food or supplements. Much of the body’s free radical damage occurs in fats and in fatty membranes of cells—exactly where vitamin E protects the body. Many cardiologists now recommend vitamin E supplementation.
Flavay Plus® uses only natural, cold-water dispersible (dry) vitamin E because it is efficiently absorbed even when taken on an empty stomach or with a low-fat meal. The other forms of natural vitmain E, the non-cold water dispersible (oil) forms, may be poorly absorbed unless taken with several grams of fats or oils.
The National Academy of Science officially recognized natural vitamin E (d-alpha) as twice as potent and retained twice as well as synthetic (dl-alpha). This means twice as much natural vitamin E reaches the blood and organs compared to synthetic versions.
B-Vitamins: Flavay Plus® is also formulated with many B-vitamins as they have been shown to be vital for the cardiovascular system. Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) is needed for healthy blood and blood vessels. Many studies indicate that vitamin B-6 helps prevent arteriosclerosis and that low levels of vitamin B-6 may increase the risk of heart attack. Vitamin B-6 is required by the body to turn iron into hemoglobin, and to produce red blood cells and antibodies. In a recent study of men and women from nine European countries, researchers concluded that regardless of homocysteine levels, a blood deficiency of vitamin B-6 was still "a very powerful risk factor for heart disease and stroke."
Selenium: Flavay Plus® includes selenium, as it is necessary for the body's production of glutathione peroxidase, which destroys free radicals that trigger the formation of plaque that clogs arteries leading to the heart. Also, human platelets contain more selenium than any other tissue, suggesting that the high concentration of selenium in platelets may prevent blood clots. Selenium is also necessary for the body’s production of glutathione (an antioxidant produced by the body which protects the brain and nerve tissue from the harmful effects of free radicals) and thioredoxin reductase which recycles vitamin C. Selenium also has a synergistic effect with vitamin E, which means that the two combined are more powerful than either alone. Many Americans do not consume even the small RDA of selenium in their diet.
Zinc: Zinc is a necessary part of the body’s production of DHA and a constituent of many vital enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is a critical cellular antioxidant enzyme that is responsible for mopping up peroxynitrate, the highly toxic free radical produced in abundance in the normal course of immune system battles (as in viral or bacterial infections) and plays a powerful role in immune system inflammation. Together with the B vitamins, zinc assists in the utilization of insulin and glucose. There is a growing body of evidence to indicate that zinc is needed for the proper maintenance of vitamin E levels in the blood and aids in the absorption of vitamin A. Other important functions of zinc include the promotion of glandular and reproductive health; and there is strong evidence that zinc is essential for cell repair and cell growth. There is evidence that zinc levels fall after physical and mental stress. Flavay Plus® uses zinc orotate, a high-quality, highly bioavailable form of zinc.
Ginkgo biloba leaf: Used as a medicinal treatment in China since 2800 B.C. for problems related to brain function, heart disease, and other circulatory disorders. Recent research has shown that ginkgo biloba extract can help speed up recovery after a heart attack. Flavay Plus® includes ginkgo biloba leaf extract that has been standardized to 24% gingko flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones—the clinically proven optimum rations used in the breakthrough studies published in a mainstream medical journal.
Phosphatidyl serine: Flavay Plus® is formulated with phosphatidyl serine (Leci-PS™), a complex of amino and fatty acids extracted from soy lecithin, which has proven to be a safe, potentially effective therapeutic agent in treating memory deficit disorders. Phosphatidyl serine has been the subject of many human clinical trials regarding memory loss, mood, cognitive performance, learning ability and stress.
Phosphatidyl serine is a phospholipid that is vital to brain cell structure and function. Phospholipids are molecules containing both amino and fatty acid components, which are found in every cell membrane in our bodies. Phosphatidyl serine plays an important role in our neurotransmitter systems, in metabolism levels of the brain, and in maintaining nerve connections in the brain. It appears to help reestablish the normal down-regulation of cortisol secretion that is increased in chronically stressed individuals.
—dentist
Research has shown that phosphatidyl serine works to keep the brain’s processes within normal limits, raising them when they are low and lowering them when they are high. So phosphatidyl serine boosts the weak stress response in the elderly person and calms down exaggerated stress in the healthy young person. Both physical and mental stressful conditions cause stress hormones to be released into circulation, even in the young and healthy. Phosphatidyl serine given to athletes prior to starting exercise produced an impressive degree of down-regulation of the stress hormones. Phosphatidyl serine may have the capacity to normalize the stress-induced activation of the "fight or flight response." In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Italy, phosphatidyl serine lowered stress hormone (cortisol) production by 30 percent.
Two more recent placebo controlled studies confirmed the earlier double-blind trials; young, university students experienced significantly less stress from tests when they took phosphatidyl serine (300 mg daily for 30 days), they stayed more clear-headed and composed, and kept a more stable mood.
—Ms. Nancy D.
Flavay®: More Than 50 Years
of Protection for Cardiovascular Health
Now available in the United States, Flavay® is the actual polyphenol that has been licensed and sold in France for cardiovascular benefits since 1950. And, Flavay Plus® includes the highest-quality phosphatidyl serine and other antioxidant nutrients and their co-factors in order to offer you and your family with the best help that nutritional science has to offer for confronting the stressful challenges of living in today's world.
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