The world of antioxidants is a complicated one, with competing claims of efficacy. The basic claim of most antioxidants is that they will help slow down the cascading effect of free radicals, which damage healthy cells by stealing electrons from them. This cycle has been referred to as one which accelerates aging. A pill that can slow down the aging process would obviously pique our interest, but there are many skeptics.

We at Pulse do not endorse any specific antioxidant or method--we just measure them and other interventions. But there is an interesting trend I have observed. Historically, antioxidants such as vitamin A or Vitamin E supply something that the body already obtains through food. In effect, these are dietary supplements that literally could be obtained--and probably obtained better--through good diet. As such, commentators such as Michael Pollan and scientists have suggested that such supplements are not as effective as a good diet. Other scientists counter that it just isn't realistic to rely on diet alone and that the problem is that we don't supplement ENOUGH.

There is a new school that focuses on the body's natural antioxidant sources. Our internal antioxidant production is critical to keeping our bodies in balance. For example, glutathione reductase is an enzyme that is produced by our cells and which creates a chain reaction that increases antioxidant production. New supplements claim that they can actually stimulate our bodies' endogenous antioxidant production. The idea is a small pill that acts like food cannot compete with free radicals in the body--it's like spitting in the ocean. But, a pill that can trigger  

We at Pulse look forward to learning more about such antioxidants and other methods to address oxidative stress.

This blog is our forum for many things surrounding the world of Revelar.  It provides us an opportunity to share insights into free radical damage, what’s causing it, its measurement through aldehydes and ways that it can be reduced. It will also be our way to share exciting news here at Pulse Health related to Revelar. You will see posts from any number of us here. As CMO, I invite you to share your thoughts on Revelar and join our growing community.

One thing to note is the terms we can use interchangeably. While Aldehydes is consistent as the marker for measurement, what it measures has several different terms. The most common is free radical damage but you will also see the terms oxidative stress, cell damage or tissue damage used. For more details check out our science section.