RiboCeine™ - Enhanced Support for Glutathione Production
Recently, Max International became the new patent holder for the breakthrough compound RiboCeine, the active ingredient in several health-enhancing supplements responsible for raising glutathione and adenosine triphosphate levels while preserving overall tissue health and promoting faster recovery times. RiboCeine has been the focus of 20 published peer-reviewed studies supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as other reputable scientific institutions. Max International obtained the U.S. patent from the compound's creator, the renowned Dr. Herbert Nagasawa, a medicinal chemist and research scientist. RiboCeine's eventual development was the direct result of Nagasawa's compassionate response to a disturbing trend he witnessed after the Vietnam War: veterans and substance abuse.
When the war ended, Dr. Nagasawa became aware that veterans returned home to less-than-supportive circumstances influenced by the controversy surrounding the war politics. There where sadly little societal resources available for veterans or even acknowledgment of their post-combat needs. Veterans soon began abusing alcohol and drugs to cope with the emotional and mental backlash of being a soldier of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Such substance abuse inevitably further affected the veterans' mental and physical health. Initially, the veterans' addictions were treated with Antabuse, a drug that blocks a specific enzyme required for metabolizing alcohol and causes negative, physical reactions when drug and alcohol are consumed together, such as sweating, chest pain, severe nausea and vomiting. Antabuse, however, did not prove to be enough of a medical intervention for the struggling veterans to prevent them from succumbing to a hopeless fate.
Nagasawa wanted to be instrumental in finding a solution for these veterans, who, if not treated, would most certainly suffer from alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver and death. His interest in the troubled veterans was not limited to scientific curiosity, however. He had a personal reason motivating him as well. His own brother, also a Vietnam vet, suffered the same downfall as so many of the other soldiers. Nagasawa was so deeply affected by the regrettable circumstances the veterans found themselves in that he dedicated his scientific efforts to helping to find a way to keep their physical health from deteriorating due to the effects of excessive alcohol abuse. Specifically, he intended to focus on potential protective measures that could keep the liver from suffering from the detrimental effects of acetaldehyde (ACH), the resulting product of the metabolization of alcohol.
After years of research, Nagasawa began to notice that production levels of a detoxifying substance in the cells called glutathione (GSH) exhibited protective benefits for the liver from toxins like ACH. Alcoholics tend to have lower levels of glutathione. Thus, finding an effective way to elevate the glutathione levels is critical for maintaining their health.
Glutathione however, cannot be effectively ingested due to the body's inability to absorb the substance through the intestinal tract and requires supplementation of the detoxifier's components. Therefore, Nagasawa accepted the challenge to find a way to stimulate the production of glutathione within cells. Glutathione is comprised of the three amino acids cysteine, glutamate and glycine. Glutamate and Glycine can be readily obtained through a normal diet, but cysteine cannot be absorbed through diet alone. Thus, the scientific challenge for Nagasawa was developing a way to deliver cysteine to the cells and achieve optimal glutathione levels. Until now, N-acetyl Cystein (NAC), the leading form of treatment for liver damage caused by acetaminophen overdose, had been the routine treatment for low glutathione levels but required large doses for effectiveness and tended to be costly.
As research studies progressed, Nagasawa and his team realized that the compound MTCA successfully delivered cysteine to cells and generated glutathione (GSH) production. Hence, the breakthrough realization that the possibility of bridging the gap between problem and solution by effectively delivering cysteine to cells was realized. This innovative medical advancement proved to be fundamental in successfully optimizing GSH levels in the least invasive way.
The type of liver damage associated with long-term alcohol abuse can take years to manifest. One of Nagasawa's medical students, Rick Zera, volunteered to perform preliminary experiments on livers damaged by an overdose of acetaminophen, the active ingredient found in several over-the-counter cold remedies and pain relievers with an analgesic effect. This type of liver damage has comparable characteristics to those found in a liver affected by cirrhosis. Results of the experiments indicated a similarity to those found with NAC. These similarities could have shown promise for livers damaged by cirrhosis as well. This particular route was not to be taken, however. Nagasawa and his team were denied their grant proposal for further testing because, despite protective qualities against chemical-induced liver damage, MTCA delivered small amounts of ACH to the cells.
Nagasawa practiced an "open-mind" philosophy in his scientific career. Thus, the denial of the grant for further testing only posed a temporary barrier to uncovering a safe, non-toxic solution for delivering cysteine to cells for the purpose of stimulating GSH production. The team needed to pair cysteine up with a component that would satisfy both safety and delivery criteria. They soon recognized that when glucose is metabolized in the body, it produces simple sugars. The scientist and his team wanted to test the ability of these simple sugars to combine with and deliver cysteine to cells.
Jeanette Roberts, a graduate student, prepared experiments using a combination of the saccharide D-ribose and cysteine and monitored the effects the compound had on livers damaged by acetaminophen overdose. Compounds where cysteine was paired with simple sugars as opposed to glucose produced a 100% survival rate. Glucose combined with cysteine resulted in less favorable rates. Thus, Riboceine was born, meeting the necessary criteria Nagasawa needed it to and exceeding expectations. It was non-toxic, successfully delivered cysteine to cells and, ultimately, enhanced glutathione levels without being unaffordable or terribly inconvenient. In other words, the compound protected the liver from dangerous amounts of acetaminophen, surpassing previous glutathione levels resulting from the accepted treatment for this type of liver damage.
Since RiboCeine is composed of substances already found in the body, the compound is an ideal candidate for consumption as a dietary supplement for those hoping to reap the benefits of boosting glutathione levels, a more appealing option than NAC. No other approach to delivering cysteine to cells can currently match the scientific background and research that brought RiboCeine to its unconventional fruition. Along with detoxifying everyday toxins that invade the body's cells from the environment, RiboCeine has the added benefit of producing higher levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source for the process of metabolism. Higher glutathione and ATP levels help to boost the immune system, which allows the body to fight off infection and illness, and contributes to the neutralization of free radicals, organic compounds responsible for cellular damage that is linked to aging, tissue damage and suspected of being associated with the development of certain diseases. The development of RiboCeine is an inspirational example of how one person can decide to make a difference. Dr. Nagasawa knew he had to commit to the soldiers' cause and do his part by offering support where not much existed. Undaunted by numerous setbacks, Nagasawa's research team accepted each obstacle as a manageable challenge to overcome in the scientific field. They were determined to earn the respect that comes with hard work and dedication to their mission, and more importantly, they remembered the key component of a scientific success: An open mind.
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