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Hydrogen Electron Transport as an Antioxidant Function
Hydrogen has been found to be trapped within structures such as quartz, amorphous silicates, clays and carbon rings and is often rather slowly released (Mukherjee et all, 1948, Gross 1973, Sasamori 1994). Additionally hydrogen is exchanged and often displaced with other ions. (Keller et al 1963, Keller 1958). Mineral hydrides can be formed utilizing catalysts, photoionization and electrolysis (Becker 1989, Degani & Winner 1983).
Since electrons are "negatively" charged, when an atom gains a negative charge, it is "reduced", its charge is lowered. Furthermore, since hydrogen is readily attached to the silicate mineral, the hydrogen atoms can hold an additional electron. The dynamic of the silicate mineral bonding water, creating a secondary conductivity layer potential, helps in the conductance of electrons surrounding it and tends to set up a condition that also provides the reducing potential and control of the electron transfer process (Dove & Rimstidt 1994, Degani & WiUner 1983). When the colloidal silicate mineral is saturated with hydride ions they can react with free radicals and act as antioxidants.
 Free radicals are usually intermediate compounds from metabolism that have an odd number of electrons. Since electrons around atoms are more stable when paired (even numbers) they seek or attract electrons when they aren't paired. A free radical is damaging in that if not soon neutralized by an antioxidant or reducing agent they will randomly attract electrons from neighboring molecules. Free radicals are compounds formed from digestion, fatty acid breakdown, metabolites or intermediates from biochemical breakdown. Free radical intermediates have a strong affinity to attract an electron from a neighboring molecule such as a large enzyme complex or membrane system which when altered is limited or damaged in its regular function. Membranes selectively separate many compartments and their contents within cells (ie. cell membrane, nuclear membrane, mitochondria, golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, etc.).
As important bio-molecules are damaged they begin to "age" or are not as normal as healthy cells. Microhydrin®, has shown antioxidant activity against superoxide and hydroxol free radicals in vitro, two free radicals highly damaging to biological systems (Flanagan & Lloyd 1999). Free radical damage is well established in the scientific community to be partially responsible for numerous disease processes including cancer, heart and blood vessel diseases, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and adult respiratory disease (Pryor 1997).
A clinical double blind, placebo controlled preliminary trial showed that 4 capsules of Microhydrin® per day taken for two weeks, reduced the production of serum alkenals, free radicals produced from fatty acid oxidative products (membrane oxidative products). This trial showed that the mineral antioxidant tends to protect against free radicals generated within and circulating in the body. The seven subjects tested, received a placebo of rice bran flour for two weeks as the control. The averaged serum alkenal/creatinine ratios were reduced by 43% in the seven subjects when consuming the Microhydrin® supplement showing a strong trend in protection against free radical damage.
Other antioxidants (i.e. vitamin E, vitamin C, etc.) do not tend to display such negative electron availability, as measured by standard redox measurements because of the various structures of the molecules, their individual chemical characteristics, and functional proximity in reactions which tend to determine their antioxidant role. For example, vitamin C (+80 mV), has a relative redox potential much higher than NADH (-320 mV) or Microhydrin (-350 to -650 mV). Therefore, an equal amount of ascorbic acid will not reduce the same amount of NAD+ at the same
 rate as Microhydrin® (a stronger reducing agent) will. Vitamin C, however, is required to act as an electron donor in specific enzymatic reactions that only will recognize it, in order to function, as is the case with other antioxidant vitamins. Enzymes must have particular vitamins and minerals present on their structures in order to function maximally or at all. Research is showing many vitamins to have antioxidant functions beyond their role as enzymatic cofactors and are now realized to act towards random free radicals generated by metabolism or detrimental intermediates. These antioxidants are preventing otherwise damaging free radical reactions occurring in the body.
Many plant bioflavonoids show antioxidant effects towards low density lipoproteins (LDL i.e. "bad fat"). Peroxides formed from free fatty acids in the diet can be reduced with many dietary antioxidants. Microhydrin is a more general antioxidant in its function but research has shown in a clinical evaluation that it may also be reducing these types of fatty acid oxidative products in the body as measured as urine alkenal/creatinine.
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