ADULT 2 products contain high levels of vitamins E and C: what for?

Respiration constantly generates the apparition of highly reactive molecules, the free radicals. Theses molecules initiate self-propagating oxidation reactions. They are likely to damage the membranes of the cells, and then, free radicals are life-threatenig for the cells themselves.

Natural antioxidative role of vitamins E and C

Happily, the body has got some defence mechanisms to protect from oxidation. Vitamine E, whose structure allows it to get inserted into the cells membranes, plays a major antioxidative role within the phospholipids of the membranes. To be really protective towards the polyunsaturated fatty acids, the vitamin must be regenerated, otherwise, the reserves are rapidly exhausted. This regeneration is made possible thanks to the presence of vitamin C.

In certain pathologic states, or when ageing process speeds up, oxidative phenomenons are getting more and more agressive. Then, reserves in vitamins E and C are not always sufficient to make up for the negative effects of free radicals. For example, one notices that the blood level of vitamin C drops down in case of stress or disease, whereas an adequate dietary supplementation helps to restore the normal plasmatic level.

Influence of vitamins E and C supplementation
Many scientific trials clearly show the positive role played by vitamins E and C concerning the resistance to various diseases, and how it can help fighting against ageing.

Slowing down the cellular ageing process
Research is more and more focused on the very important role played by free radicals as a cause of ageing. The results obtained from laboratory studies are encouraging:

• in mice and rats, high doses of vitamin E are able to slow down some mechanisms of the cellular ageing process. For example, one can limit oxidation reactions in the liver ;
• in the older rat, vitamin C dietary supplementation prevents from the physiological fall of the antioxidative molecules in the body.

Fighting against diseases
By limiting the oxidation reactions, vitamin E has positive effects in the tissues that have suffered form an impaired blood irrigation. In the pig for example, lesions caused by bacterial toxins are attenuated if vitamine E has been injected first. More over, in the pig as in many other species, vitamins E and C obviolusly improve the immunitary defences.

As vitamin E protects the genetic equipment of the cell from the attacks of free radicals, it helps the body to react against the development of carcinogenic diseases. In this regard, some studies are trying to make obvious a link between the incidence of some human cancers (example : lung cancer in smokers), and the vitamins C and E contents in the diet. However, such studies are very difficult to interprete.

In vitro, one shows the preventive effect of vitamin E on the formation of atherosclérosis responsible for the development of some cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction.

Vitamin E protects the cells against the accelerated oxidation by the light. Then, it would have a preventive effects towards the cataract development.

Conclusion

A dietary supplementation in vitamins E and C is potentially interesting for fighting against the cellular ageing process. All the following products are formulated in order to help maintaining older animals in good health as long as possible. They contain about 5 times more vitamin E than the products proposed to younger animals, and they are systematically enriched wih vitamin C.

• Adult 2 (RCCI Size)
• Mature Adult (Vet Size)
• Persian 30, Senior 28 (Feline Nutrition).

NB : Medium and Maxi Energy, that are advised for active dogs, are also enriched with vitamins E and C.

Donated by the Borg Cardona and Co. Ltd. visit Borg Cardona website