Vitamins and Detoxification Pathways

Study Notes

R-Lipoic Acid (R-ALA) is more bioavailable than S- and R-enantiomer mixtures and may offer superior therapeutic effects.

B vitamins serve as cofactors for hundreds of enzymes in the body, including those involved in vital detoxification pathways.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is a vital cofactor for transketolase, an enzyme involved in the pentose phosphate pathway, essential for antioxidant defenses.
Vitamin B1 supplementation may correct heavy metal-induced thiamine deficiency, bolster antioxidant defenses, and reduce the body burden of mercury, arsenic, and lead.
Vitamin B5 (d-calcium pantothenate) supports glutathione production through its vital role in ATP production and has hepatoprotective effects via its free radical-scavenging activities.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) alleviates oxidative stress, caused by elevated homocysteine, by redistributing glutathione from the liver into the blood plasma.
Vitamin B6 may also assist in lead detoxification by chelating or interfering with intestinal absorption of the heavy metal.
Selenium is an essential cofactor for glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme that detoxifies damaging peroxide radicals into innocuous alcohol molecules and oxygen, protecting cells from oxidative damage.

Clear Way Cofactors is a proprietary blend of botanically-sourced polyphenolic antioxidants, R-Lipoic Acid, B vitamins, selenium, and high-potency nattokinase designed to maximally support metal detoxification pathways.

The plant kingdom offers an abundance of botanicals that enhance intracellular detoxification pathways, assisting in the detoxification of endogenous and exogenous toxins, repairing damaged proteins, and quenching oxidative stress.
Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) is a fruit that has been used for thousands of years in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine to support detoxification pathways.
Dietary selenium also protects against and alleviates mercury toxicity by inhibiting the binding of mercury to cellular targets in the thioredoxin and glutathione antioxidant systems.

Provides potent protection inside mitochondria, the cell's energy powerhouses
Critical to immune system function, dampening inflammation, and autoimmune response
May confer protection from cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease

Phase I: Oxidation - liver converts lipid-soluble toxins into less harmful compounds
Phase II: Conjugation - glutathione binds to toxins, making them water-soluble
Phase III: Elimination - cellular transport and elimination of conjugated substances through bile or urine

Glutathione regulates TH1 and TH2 immune responses
Modest increase in intracellular glutathione levels potentiates immune action of lymphocytes
Reduced glutathione levels linked to autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis

Glutathione protects the heart by reducing oxidative stress and preventing atherogenesis
Glutathione is a key antioxidant in the brain, protecting against neurodegenerative diseases
Lowered glutathione levels linked to Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment

Glutathione conjugates and eliminates mycotoxins, methylmercury, and other neurotoxins
Prevents mercury toxicity by targeting and binding methylmercury

Glutathione plays a critical role in liver function and detoxification
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) supports liver function and detoxification by preventing the absorption of harmful compounds