QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: THE BASICS
1. Q. What is Juvenon™?
A. Juvenon is an FDA-approved cellular health supplement, a patented formula that combines a natural, energy-enhancing amino-acid derivative with a highly effective anti-oxidant and other essential nutrients. As a daily supplement, Juvenon is used to promote and maintain cellular health, protect cells from the negative effects of oxidants, or free radicals, and increase the body’s energy level. In short, Juvenon is a safe and effective natural anti aging supplement. The preeminent geneticist and biochemist Dr. Bruce Ames and his team of scientists developed Juvenon at the University of California at Berkeley.
Q. What is in Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement?
A. The key ingredients featured in this natural anti aging formula are acetyl-L carnetine, a naturally occurring nutrient that improves the function of the brain and body in several ways, and alpha-lipoic acid, a naturally occurring compound and highly effective anti-oxidant. Without alpha-lipoic acid, the aging body is less able to convert food-based metabolites into energy. Juvenon also features biotin, a B vitamin that helps maintain the body’s production of energy at a cellular level.
Q. What are the most commonly reported benefits of Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement?
A. Research conducted by Juvenon’s scientists indicates that the main effects of the product are to promote healthy cells, reduce toxic oxidants, and improve metabolic efficiency*. A central factor in aging is the decay of the mitochondria in your cells. These are the biological engines that convert fats and sugars into energy. Aging mitochondria cannot take in as much fuel, so they produce less energy and more oxidant toxins. Taking Juvenon every day increases the percentage of healthy mitochondria in your cells and slows down the aging process*.
The most common reported benefits of improved cellular health are:
Increased energy, spread evenly throughout the day*
Greater mental alertness*
Feelings of wellbeing*
Improved quality of sleep*.
Q. How long will it take to feel results?
A. Most people feel a difference within 30 days. Individual responses vary widely, as a result of differences in diet, physical condition, age, and other factors. Sometimes the differences are subtle. (See Customer Testimonials for responses from a variety of individual consumers.) Some people, including Juvenon’s Scientific Advisory Board Chairman Dr. Bruce Ames, Ph.D., feel little effect but take Juvenon tablets as they would vitamin pills, to promote healthy cells and slow down the aging process*.
Q.Are there any side effects of Juvenon?
A. The dosage in Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement has been set well below the experimental levels that have been used in many clinical studies of the individual substances over the past 30 years. The ingredients in Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement are produced naturally in the body and produce few side effects. Occasionally, some consumers report transitory gastrointestinal effects. For this reason, taking the product with food is recommended. Persons who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or other digestive system disorders should consult their healthcare professional.
Some people have found that when they take the product with dinner, they feel energized at night and have difficulty falling asleep. Persons who experience this effect may switch to dosing at lunch rather than dinner, or reduce the daily dose. Isolated cases of an allergic reaction, in the form of a rash or hives, have also been reported. Symptoms are reported to have gone away upon stopping use of the product.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement, because of a lack of long-term safety data. Persons with diabetes or who are glucose-intolerant should check with their healthcare professional.
Q. What is biotin? Why is it part of the formula for Juvenon tablets?
A. In April 2004 Juvenon improved the formula of Juvenon™ Cellular Health Supplement by adding the B vitamin biotin. The amount added is 100 micrograms per tablet, equal to 33% of the Recommended Daily Allowance recommended by the United States Government. Biotin is required in a number of biochemical reactions, including those involving fat and carbohydrate metabolism. It is important for maintaining optimal levels of metabolites utilized for energy production in the mitochondria. It also contributes to maintaining healthy skin, hair and nervous system*.
The molecular structure of biotin is similar to that of alpha lipoic acid, one of the principal ingredients in Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement. As a consequence of this structural similarity, an excess of alpha lipoic acid can compete with or displace biotin from its cognate enzyme, according to experimental evidence from cell and animal studies. For this reason, biotin has been added to offset a potential imbalance.
Q. Can I take this product with prescription drugs?
A. According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, no interactions are known to occur with acetyl L-carnitine, one of the major ingredients in Juvenon™ Cellular Health Supplement. With regard to alpha lipoic acid, the other major ingredient, the same source indicates that persons undergoing chemotherapy or taking anti-diabetes drugs should check with their healthcare professional. Before taking any dietary supplement and prescription drug simultaneously, it’s always a good idea to consult with your healthcare professional.
Q. Can I take Juvenon along with my regular vitamins?
A. Yes. Juvenon’s Scientific Advisory Board recommends that healthy adults take a daily multivitamin, in addition to their regular Juvenon dose. The alpha lipoic acid in Juvenon™ Cellular Health Supplement does recycle several antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, as well as glutathione and some others. However, it is not necessary to cut back on your vitamin C or E. Both are quite non-toxic as long as you are taking less than 1,000 IU of vitamin E per day. Most excess vitamins, especially those that are water-soluble, are eliminated by the kidney.
Q. Is this product FDA-approved?
A. Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement is sold in accordance with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, passed by Congress in 1994. This Act allows marketing of dietary supplements without prior approval by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA exerts general oversight over product safety and supervises the marketing claims made for dietary supplements.
Q. At what age should one start taking Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement?
A. The benefits from supplementing with Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement apply to all ages; people over 50 appear to benefit more. The intensity of the observable effects varies from individual to individual, depending on genetic makeup and diet. Therefore, people in their thirties or even younger could very well find a significant beneficial effect from Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement.
Q. Why do you recommend taking Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement with food?
A. We state on the bottle to take with food simply because an occasional person will experience a slight upset stomach when the product is taken without food. Juvenon™ Cellular Health Supplement is absorbed more directly into the bloodstream when it is taken without food.
Q. What functions will Juvenon’s future products address?
A. Aging is characterized by decreased efficiency in cellular energy production and increased output of cell-damaging oxidants. Thus, as we age, we have less energy. Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement addresses this phenomenon. As for future products, nearly everyone is familiar with the memory impairment, skin conditions and depleted immune function associated with age. Juvenon is working to develop, test and commercialize products that address effects associated with normal aging.
Q. What does the FDA advise with regard to evaluating and buying dietary supplements?
A. The FDA offers “Tips for the Savvy Supplement User,” available online.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: TECHNICAL TOPICS
Q. What precautions, adverse reactions and contraindications for each of the major ingredients in Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement have been reported in scientific literature?
A. Pregnant and lactating women are advised not to consume either acetyl L-carnitine or alpha lipoic acid, because of lack of long-term safety data.
With regard to acetyl L-carnitine, the Supplement Monographs published by the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR), a well-known reference handbook, indicates that no contraindications are known. Adverse reactions reported by the PDR include mild gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, as well as headache. Other sources report an increase in agitation or restlessness. An increase in seizure frequency has been reported in persons with seizure disorder. Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease may exhibit psychiatric disturbances, such as depression and confusion, but it is uncertain whether these effects are due to acetyl L-carnitine or the disease itself. Some evidence suggests acetyl L-carnitine may interfere with thyroid metabolism.
Oral alpha lipoic acid is reported in the literature to be well tolerated in doses up to 600 milligrams per day. The PDR reports that no contraindications are known and no reports of overdosage. Alpha lipoic acid is used in Germany to treat diabetic neuropathy and liver disorders in doses of 1200 milligrams daily or 600 milligrams three times per day. Persons with diabetes should consult a physician, since supplementation with alpha lipoic acid may lower blood glucose levels. Skin rash has been reported in connection with oral alpha lipoic acid. Some evidence suggests that high doses of alpha lipoic acid may cause thiamine deficiency (a condition associated, for example, with alcoholism).
Q. How do you ensure the quality of Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement?
A. Juvenon, Inc. is committed to providing the highest quality products. We take great pride in every step of our manufacturing process. Our products are made in the U.S.A, in a high-tech manufacturing plant licensed by the federal government. Of course, Juvenon products are dietary supplements, not drugs, but these licenses are indicative of the strict quality requirements that prevail in the plant. Our plant is fully licensed with the following pharmacy boards, agencies and administrations as a supplement manufacturer:
NSF Certification (National Science Foundation)
FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
NPA (Natural Products Association)
AHPA (American Herbal Products Association)
PLMA (Private Label Manufacturers Association)
cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) GMPs are guidelines that assure the product produced has the identity, strength, composition, quality and purity that it is represented to possess
The raw materials used in Juvenon products are received with Certificates of Analysis that certify their composition. The raw materials, as well as the packaging materials, are subjected to rigorous quality testing before they are accepted into the plant. Throughout the manufacturing process, written Standard Operating Procedures govern every step.
Juvenon, Inc. voluntarily submits its products to independent third-party testing for quality assurance. Finished products are tested for potency by independent third-party laboratories to ensure that each supplement contains exactly what is stated on the label. Expiration dates, established in accordance with the stability testing results, are stamped on the bottom of each bottle. Our commitment to quality ensures you will receive a high quality Juvenon product, each and every time.
Q. Does Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement contain the R+ isomer or enantiomer of lipoic acid, or the racemic mixture?
A. Stereoisomers or enantiomers are different compounds with the same molecular formula and physical and chemical properties. Lipoic acid has R and S enantiomers, which are mirror images of each other. Consequently, the 3-D structure of the two is different, due to variation in molecular arrangement in space. Because of this variation one form, the R, rotates polarized light to the right, while the S form rotates it to the left.
The alpha lipoic acid present in the Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement is called a racemic mixture and contains an equal mixture of R and S. The R form is the one that is synthesized by the body. The R form is the isomer utilized by the enzymes of the mitochondria for the conversion of food metabolites to energy. However, the S form does have antioxidant activity, and does not appear to interfere significantly with the R form, although this is not entirely clear.
Virtually all of the human studies to date (going back some 35 years) have utilized the racemic mixture, which is more stable and considerably less expensive. It is not known whether the R form is in fact more beneficial to humans than the racemic mixture. In spite of claims by some that the S form interferes with the R form, there is no experimental evidence to support this statement. In fact, there is no evidence to date that demonstrates unequivocally that the R form is superior to the R/S mixture in promoting cellular health.
Juvenon scientists continue to evaluate this question. When and if peer-reviewed research establishes that the R form, without the S, is a superior protector of cellular health in humans, Juvenon will offer a product containing only the R form.
Q. Why do you use acetyl L-carnitine rather than L-carnitine?
A. Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) has certain key properties that L-carnitine lacks, which makes this form of carnitine the ideal choice for Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement. For example, ALC:
Crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily*
Is taken up by cells more readily, and enters the mitochondria faster*
Can function as a donor of the acetyl group to choline to produce the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine*
Is more effective than L-carnitine as a neuro-protecto
Q. Why is lipoic acid more appropriate for use with acetyl L-carnitine than other antioxidants?
A. Lipoic acid was chosen as the antioxidant of choice because it functions in concert with acetyl L-carnitine in energy production and the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Lipoic acid and acetyl L-carnitine are produced by the cell and present in the mitochondria. Lipoic acid is also one of the more potent natural antioxidants present in the body with the ability to protect both lipid and water-soluble components.
Q. What is the benefit of taking Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement rather than buying the ingredients separately?
A. The benefit of taking Juvenon over mixing your own concoction is based on several facts. The ratio of the compounds in Juvenon Cellular Health Supplement was carefully chosen and was based on human studies. The ingredients in our tablet were formulated to work in concert and are manufactured in accordance with strict quality controls. For the consumer, the convenience of taking both compounds at the optimum ratio in one tablet is also important.
Q. Is there anything in Juvenon t that is of animal derivation? Anything that is the product of a genetically modified organism? Is Juvenon vegan?
A. Juvenon contains no animal derived products and thus qualifies as vegan. The product neither contains, nor is produced by, any genetically modified organisms.
Q. Does Juvenon contain any major food allergens?
A. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) defines a “major food allergen” as an one of the following ingredients: milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans. Products labeled after January 1, 2006 must identify any major food allergen. The Juvenon formula contains NO “major food allergen.” Thus the label on Juvenon bottles contains the wording “No Common Allergen.”
Q. Would Juvenon affect cancer cell function in the same way that it promotes the healthy functioning of normal cells? In other words, would cancer cells become stronger or more efficient with exposure to Juvenon?
A. Unlike human growth-promoting factors, such as testosterone and human growth hormone, which can stimulate cancer growth, the Juvenon compounds should not.
For example, in the case of prostate cancer, there are receptors on the prostate cancer cells for testosterone. When testosterone binds to these cells it activates several metabolic pathways and ultimately promotes the growth of the cell to which it is bound.
The Juvenon formula does not contain growth-promoting factors, such as growth hormones. Rather, Juvenon functions to invigorate and protect all the cells of the body.
Q. What are the dietary sources of acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid?
A. The principal dietary source of acetyl L-carnitine is red meat. The highest concentrations are found in mutton. Alpha lipoic acid is present in both plants and animals and is an integral component of the photosynthetic process of chloroplasts. Very small quantities of lipoic acid are contained in dietary sources such as spinach. Nevertheless, it is virtually impossible to meet one’s need for alpha lipoic acid through dietary intake.
Q. How did you determine the dose of Juvenon? Is one dose appropriate for everyone?
A. We looked at dozens of clinical studies carried out in Europe and the U.S. over the past 30 years, using each of our key ingredients separately in a wide range of doses. After determining the levels at which the ingredients are well tolerated, we evaluated efficacy parameters, including mental alertness and attitudes, sense of well-being, energy level, and sleep patterns.
Our recommendation of 2 tablets/day is based on numerous human studies, in which the responses were examined over a range of doses. Our experience is that 2/day is optimal for more than 75% of people. However, some individuals find they obtain a more pronounced effect with a somewhat higher dose (up to 3 or even 4/day) and a few people prefer 1/day. The variation in response to the different doses is clearly related to differences in metabolism and reflects human genetic variability.
Q. What about Juvenon for pets?
A. The compounds in the Juvenon formula have been demonstrated to have positive effects on both mental and physical activities in laboratory animals. There is also experimental evidence (both in vivo and in vitro) indicating that the compounds in the supplement help to protect tissues by inhibiting the production of tissue-damaging free-radicals. The tissues protected include skeletal muscle, heart, liver, and tissue comprising the nervous system. The majority of these studies were with dogs and rodents. Unlike dogs and many other animals, cats cannot tolerate the Juvenon product because they are sensitive to one of the active compounds, alpha lipoic acid. The metabolism of lipoic acid by the liver of the cat is very different from other animals, and results in liver toxicity. Therefore, Juvenon is not recommended for cats.
Recommended dose: 1 tablet/ 50 lb/day or ¼ tablet/12 lbs/day. This dose can be applied to dogs, hamsters and other rodents, and horses.