Ayurvedic Antioxidant
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Ayurvedic Antioxidant |
Dr. Hari Sharma of the Ohio State University College of Medicine found that the ayurvedic medicine, Maharishi Amrit Kalash, was one thousand times more powerful an antioxidant than vitamins C or E per unit of weight. Amrit contains ghee or clarified butter, as well as some sugar. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that the use of ghee along with herbs facilitates the entrance of the herbs to the inside of the cells. The amount of ghee used has not been found to increase cholesterol or blood lipids. Whole cane sugar is used so that Amrit can remain at room temperature. The sugar is thought to act as a carrier to help facilitate the assimilation of the herbs by the body. The sugar also acts as an antioxidant. A preparation exists for diabetics that is made without sugar.
Dr. Sharma found two to four times as much proliferation of antibody producing cells after an antigenic challenge when the subject was taking Amrit. The immune cells, when stimulated, showed increased production of interleukin-2, which fights viruses and tumors.
The proposed underlying mechanism for Amrit and other antioxidants is the prevention of the production of free radicals. Free radicals are involved in cancer, heart disease, chemotherapy, and immunity.
For an antioxidant to get inside the cell, it must go through the cell membrane which is made of fat. A fat-soluble mixture is needed for that. Outside of the cell, a water-soluble mixture is needed. Vitamin C is only water-soluble, and helps with free radicals outside the cell. Vitamin E is only lipid-soluble - fat-soluble - so it can only help with free radicals inside the cell. Dr. Sharma believes that Amrit mixture has both types of antioxidants - water-soluble and lipid-soluble, so that it provides both antioxidant effects.
Amrit is a mixture of a many different bioflavonoids. Amrit is manufactured in an export zone in India. The various herbs to be included are collected and brought to the manufacturing plant, where each one is identified by an herbalist - a botanist - to make sure it is the proper herb and that the proper part of the plant has been harvested. The herbs are also tested for contamination by bacteria and heavy metals. If they find contamination, they discard it. The herbs are also tested by the HPLC chemical process to make sure the required chemicals are present in the herbs. When the herbs pass all these requirements, then they go through the manufacturing process. The herbal mixtures are manufactured under hygienic conditions and with strict quality control. When the herbs come to North America, they are tested once again for heavy metals and bacterial contamination. Amrit is distributed in the USA by MAPI.
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